The Kyuubi brothers
by lokinorsedeity
Summary: Kurama was minding his own business when he came across the child. Who was he and why did his chakra feel so familiar? Naruto learns what having a family is all about. YYHxNaruto crossover
1. Hanyou Kyuubi meets Container

**Hanyou Kyuubi meets Container**

Kurama was minding his own business (mostly) when he stumbles across an old path he's never seen before. He was bored, so he decided to see where it lead. BIG. MISTAKE.

He continues walking for over an hour until he starts to get tired. He briefly considers turning back and going home when he notices an-all-too-familiar-aura. A fox demon aura, similar to his own. His curiosity piqued, he figures that it wouldn't hurt to investigate the aura. (Apparently he forgot the saying that CURIOUSITY KILLED THE CAT.)

* * *

What Kurama discovers both confuses him and cracks him up. He had stumbled onto a young boy dressed in orange and blue with yellow hair, blue eyes and what appears to be fox-whiskers on his face. The boy seems not to sense his aura or presence. He watches as the child throws shurinkens at a log, (most of them don't even make it close to the log) and decides that the day might not be a total loss after all. It took the boy 30 minutes to even realize that he wasn't alone. (He was too focused on his throwing shurinkens to even notice sooner.)

"Who's there?!" the boy says; Kurama notes the hint of fear in his voice.

--------

Kurama debates whether or not he should come forward or not when he hears something coming. He hides; the plants surround him covering his presence completely. A man wearing black, green and grey enters the clearing. He appears to be drunk; when he sees the boy he flies into a rage, ranting all the while about 'demons' and 'payback'. When he attempts to attack the child, who was frozen from fear, Kurama calls upon the plants to entangle the fool. Much to his dismay, they refuse to do so; this forces him to choose. Either he remains hidden while the boy is hurt, or he intervenes and blows his cover. His choice was forced on him as the child yelped in pain.

His trademark rose at hand, he jumps from his hiding spot and strikes the drunken man. His whip hits the mark; the man backs down for a moment, which was all he needed. He scoops up the child and hides in the forest. The boy is frightened; he was still trying to make sense of what happened and who his rescuer was. His eyes are wide as he says in a hushed whisper that Kurama had to strain to hear… "Who are you?"

The boy calms down a little when Kurama gives him a gentle smile and says, "I'm a friend."

"A friend? What's that?" the boy asks. His question catches Kurama completely off guard. This boy didn't know what a friend was?!

"A friend is someone who's there for you and is on your side."

"I've never had a friend before…" said the boy quietly.

"What's your name?" asked Kurama gently.

"_Naruto. Naruto Uzamaki."_

"My name is Kurama. Nice to meet you Naruto."

* * *

"What're you doing here, Kurama-san?" asked Naruto.

"I was passing by and saw you practicing. I just happened to be watching when that drunken idiot tried to attack you."

"Thank you for saving me."

"Why were you out here all alone?" asked Kurama.

"I was training so I could pass my test tomorrow. I practice alone 'cause no one seems to even want to be near me."

"Where are your parents? Surely they would care."

"I don't have any parents. I'm all alone…" said Naruto, who was trying to hold back his tears.

"You know, sometimes its okay to cry," said Kurama. He holds Naruto who breaks into sobs. His eyes turn up to the sky when he hears the loud cry of thunder approaching. Naruto's crying starts to slow down and Kurama asks him, "Sounds like a thunderstorm is coming. Do you know anyplace where we could stay out of the rain?"

Naruto looks up at him and replies, "My house isn't too far from here…"

Kurama gets a sudden idea that might cheer Naruto up; he gently picks him up and lets him ride on his shoulders.

* * *

"Tell you what Naruto, you give me the directions to your house and you can ride on my shoulders all the way there. Sound good to you?"

Naruto's tears and sad face disappear in an instant. He nods quickly, and Kurama sees Naruto smile. He chuckles as he says, "Naruto, your grin reminds me an awful lot of a fox."

Naruto laughs, which brightens Kurama's otherwise dull mood. Naruto directs him all the way to an apartment, which he enters with Naruto looking like he's about to fall asleep. As he enters the bedroom, he feels the young boy fall fast asleep. He takes Naruto off his shoulders and lays him down carefully on the bed. Right after he pulls the covers over him, the thunder booms overheard and he watches as the downpour of rain starts to come pouring down. Kurama was _not _eager to walk outside in the pouring rain, so he reluctantly decides to stay with Naruto; at least until the rain stopped anyway.


	2. Fox brothers

**Fox brothers**

As Kurama lies down on the bed, Naruto curls up next to him. He smiles and puts an arm around the boy protectively. He soon falls asleep; Naruto curled up next to him.

_I feel warm…where am I?_

* * *

Naruto wakes up slowly and notices that his new friend was lying next to him. He hears a loud BOOM outside and knows that the test had been canceled due to rain, as well as the classes. He doesn't want to leave the safety of Kurama's protective arms, so he snuggles up and falls back asleep. Little does he know that Kurama had been awake the whole time and was watching over him. When Kurama does get up, he does so carefully as to not wake the sleeping boy up.

His concern for Naruto increases as he inspects the apartment. He is especially worried when he finds out that Naruto's diet mainly centered on 'instant ramen'. Almost all the vegetables, fruits, and perishables were either rotten or inedible.

There were several other disturbing signs that said how well Naruto lived. The laundry was piled up in a corner, unwashed. The dishes were stacked unceremoniously high and looked like they were about to crash. Every room could easily qualify as a 'natural disaster zone' without even trying. And the trash was one of the worst parts of all…it was clear to even a casual glance that it hadn't been taken out in nearly three months, if that. Kurama was worried as well as annoyed. How could anyone live like this and not even attempt to clean it up?! (And this was coming from someone who wasn't even a neat-freak!) He held back a sigh as he went to see how Naruto was doing. It became obvious that he didn't have to bother; Naruto slept like a log. Anything short of freezing cold water pouring down on his head wouldn't even cause him to stir.

* * *

Kurama knew that going back to sleep would be impossible after seeing Naruto's living conditions. He decides to pass the time by at least trying to clean up. He took one of the unwashed rags and dusted off the cabinets where the dishes _should _go. After that he gets to work on the dishes themselves; it took him over an hour to even get halfway done. As soon as the dishes were washed and put away, he set to work on the clothes.

Since Naruto didn't have a washer, he improvised using the kitchen sink instead. It wasn't until he was three-quarters done that he realized something. _Where was he supposed to hang the clothes to dry?! _He stops long enough to find a reasonable spot and starts to hang the clothes that are already washed. It took him five minutes to hang them all and go back to what he was doing. Ten minutes later and he was done; all he had to do was wait until the clothes were dry and put them away.

Next up…the trash! He sets the trash next to the front door, and then he picks up everything that lay around the apartment that even _looked_ like trash with it. When he heard Naruto roll over, he grinned. _He couldn't wait to see Naruto's face when the boy saw what happened to his house!_ His biggest task completed, he then goes to work on the rooms themselves. The bathroom was first, followed by the kitchen and the living room, and finally the bedroom. When he finished everything, he lay back down next to Naruto and fell fast asleep.

Three hours after Kurama fell back asleep, Naruto wakes up. When he finally gets out of bed, Kurama opens a weary eye. He gets up as well, though his reason for doing so was very different from Naruto's!

* * *

Naruto leaves his bedroom, and is shocked by the sight before him! His jaw dropped, and he spun around when he heard a chuckle behind him.

"Whose house is this?!" asked Naruto in wonder.

Kurama burst out laughing. When he is finally able to speak without laughing he says between chuckles, "This…is your…house…silly!"

"_My house?!"_

"Yup. I woke up and when I saw how bad it was I decided to do something about it. In other words, _this is what your home SHOULD look like_!"

"You mean you cleaned this place up?! I haven't seen the floor in over a year!" exclaimed Naruto in amazement.

"As soon as the rain lets up, I'm gonna take that trash out as well."

"Thanks! I've never had any time to take it out in nearly four months."

"Huh…I thought it was three!" laughed Kurama. Naruto gave him his fox-like grin again.

"You know…you're kinda like the older brother I never had…" said Naruto thoughtfully.

"And you're like the pesky, always-under-foot, runt of a younger brother that I've always wanted," joked Kurama. This got a laugh out of Naruto.

"So what happens now?" asked Naruto finally.

"I was originally planning on returning home after the rain went away…" started Kurama who noticed the crestfallen look on Naruto's face, "but after seeing how badly you've been living up till now I've been having second thoughts. I might just stay around as your older brother."

* * *

"Really?!" said Naruto excitedly.

"Better believe it. It looks like you need me more than my friends do at this point. So what do ya say?" asked Kurama with a smile.

"YAY!" cried Naruto as he jumped on Kurama. Kurama laughed and wrestled with the boy for a little bit. Naruto was no longer alone. Now he had someone who would be waiting for him whenever he came home…and that meant more to him than anything. He finally had an older brother.


	3. New rules and new things

**New rules and new things**

"So little brother, what do you want to do when the rain lets up?" asked Kurama.

"How about we go play?"

"In the mud?" joked Kurama.

"I forgot…" admitted Naruto.

"Don't worry. I can think of a few things we could do in the dirt."

"Like what?" asked Naruto curious.

"Like planting." Kurama chuckles a little at Naruto's expression and explains.

"I may not look it, but I'm a really fond of plants. Though I am NOT a vegetarian!"

"What's a vegetarian?" asked Naruto.

"A vegetarian is someone who _doesn't _eat meat, only fruits and vegetables."

"So what kinds of plants are your favorites, nii-san?" asked Naruto. Kurama smiles as he thinks, _I could get used to being called nii-san…_

"Mostly flowers like roses. So what kind of classes do you take?"

* * *

As Naruto explains the day-to-day life of an in-training ninja, Kurama fixes something for them to eat. (Much to his dismay, the only thing edible was instant ramen.) Naruto's face lights up at the scent of ramen, and when it's done, he chows down.

"Naruto, when the rain lets up, we're gonna have to get some more food for you!" said Kurama with a serious look.

"Why? I've got more than enough ramen for the month!" exclaimed Naruto.

"You need to eat more than ramen squirt. You'll stunt your growth if all you ever eat is ramen," said Kurama, who amended the last statement after seeing Naruto's crestfallen look, "I said that you shouldn't eat so much ramen, not stop eating it altogether! Ramen is fine, so long as it isn't for _every _meal."

"All right…" said Naruto, his usual grin gone for the moment.

Kurama thinks for a moment and comes up with a way to cheer the boy up.

"Naruto, how would you like to see one of my favorite techniques after we're done eating?"

"Technique? What kind of technique?"

"An attack kind. You could call it my trademark attack…"

"Sure! I can't wait to see it!" says Naruto happily.

* * *

After lunch, Kurama takes out his rose and proceeds to show Naruto the _Rose Whip. _Naruto is both awed and amazed at the sight. (Not to mention the fact that it made the house smell a little better!) When Kurama is done, all he can say is, "Can you teach me how to do that?!"

"I guess I could try…though even I don't know how this attack works."

He attempts to teach Naruto how to use the Rose Whip, but they have little success. Kurama wonders what to do when he sees something strange. He waits until night to take a closer look. As Naruto slept, Kurama took a second glance at his stomach. At first, nothing seemed to be out of the ordinary. But when he came closer, his aura somehow causes a reaction in Naruto and a series of unknown symbols appear around his navel. This catches him off-guard for a moment, but a moment was all that was needed. One minute he was sitting next to Naruto, the next he was face-to-face with a cold, and very cranky fox!


	4. Kyuubi meets Kyuubi

**Kyuubi meets Kyuubi**

**"_Who are you?!"_** demanded the fox.

"My name is Kurama. May I ask who you might be?" said Kurama coolly.

**"_I am Kyuubi, lord of the forests that surround this accursed village. Why have I been summoned to the physical plain?"_**

"That's what I'd love to know. Care to explain how you got stuck inside a child?" said Kurama with a hint of amusement in his voice.

**"_Watch your tone, you insolent brat! I am far older and stronger than you'll ever hope to be!"_**

"I wouldn't say that…" said Kurama, his amusement rising.

**"_Keep it up and you'll have to face my wrath, you arrogant cur."_**

"I'd love to see you try, Kyuubi. Though I think my _other_ _half_ would have something to say about it."

**"_What do you mean OTHER HALF?! What in blazes are you!?"_**

Kurama decides to let his aura speak for him. The fox lord's eyes widen in surprise and annoyance as he recognizes the chakra. He snorts as he says, _**"I see… So I'm not the last one after all."**_

**"Whatever made you think that? You're not the only demon-lord around here. Not anymore."** Yoko Kurama says coolly.

**"_Judging by your appearance… You must be that blasted thief Yoko!"_**

**"That would be me."**

**"_That explains how I was brought out so easily… Why are you here?"_**

**"My human side stumbled across the boy when he was attacked. He saved the child and has been here for the past few days."**

**"_Are you staying here indefinitely?"_**

**"The chances of that are quite high. Why do you ask?"**

**"_I thought it might be a good thing to have someone to talk to after being sealed in here for the past eleven years."_**

**"How did you get stuck inside him anyway?"**

**"_I attacked this damn village eleven years ago after finding my mate and kits dead in my den. The village leader, the Hokage as they call him, imprisoned me inside this brat since they couldn't kill me. I've been stuck here ever since."_**

**"Yikes. Well at least now you'll have someone to talk to."**

**"_You have no idea what a bore it is with nothing to do all day… Speaking of which, why were you in a human form?"_**

**"I was almost caught after a failed theft and had to hide in the human world for the past 16 years. I would have left the place sooner, but certain complications prevented me from doing so. That, and I found out that being in a human guise has certain advantages."**

**"_You may have a point…"_** said Kyuubi, his head turned as he felt the boy move.

**"I wonder what the boy's reaction would be if he knew what was sealed within him…"** joked Yoko Kurama.

**"_I don't know, but right now I don't really care. Let's talk tomorrow…"_**

* * *

Kyuubi, the demon fox lord, went back inside Naruto and took a nap. Yoko Kurama waited a moment and then let his human half retake control. Kurama was tired and fell fast asleep against Naruto. The rain finally dissipated the next day. 


	5. A confrontation with the village

**A confrontation with the village**

Naruto woke up the next morning, half-awake and ready to eat. Kurama was already awake and was preparing breakfast. Naruto yawned as he said, "Mornin' nii-san!"

"Good morning, Naruto-chan. Sleep well?"

"Yeah…but I had a really weird dream last night!"

"What about?"

"Some weird foxes were talking right next to me…"

_So Naruto had been half-awake last night… Figures that would happen._

"Well, at least it wasn't a nightmare. So what do you want for breakfast?"

"Ramen please."

"Har-har. Well since we don't have much of anything else, I guess ramen it is."

Kurama and Naruto eat their breakfast, still half-awake. When they're done, they take the trash out. Kurama helps Naruto get ready for class. To start the day off with a good mood, Kurama lets Naruto have a ride on his shoulders to class. He ignores the various looks from the villagers and then makes sure that he knows when to come and pick up his brother.

* * *

In the classroom…

"Hey Naruto, who was that guy you were with? I don't recognize him," said Sakura, a pink-haired kunoichi.

"His name is Kurama. He's staying with me at my house!" said Naruto happily.

"Why on earth would he want to stay at your place? It's a complete mess!" said Ino, a blond-haired girl and Sakura's former best friend.

"It's not a mess anymore. Kurama helped me clean the place up last night," said Naruto in their defense.

"He must be an idiot if he helped you…" snorted Sasuke, a raven-haired boy who almost all the girls fawned over.

"Says you! He knows how to use plants as weapons!" said Naruto angrily.

"Naruto, _anyone_ can use plants as weapons. Half the poisons that we use _come from_ plants!" said Ino annoyed.

Before Naruto can argue any more, his teacher comes up to him and tells him that they need to talk in the hall. What had started out as a good day was becoming the _Day from Hell_.

* * *

Back at the apartment, Kurama was about to face similar problems. He hadn't been there longer than thirty minutes before he hears a knock at the door. He slowly opens the door and is confronted by two men wearing the same outfit that the drunk had worn the day he meet Naruto.

"Is there a problem?" asked Kurama cautiously.

"Yes there is. Lord Hokage wants to speak with you, _now_."

"Lord Hokage?"

"The village leader," said the other impatiently.

"What's this all about?" said Kurama suspiciously.

"Lord Hokage wants to know who you are and why you're living with the fox-brat."

"Let's go get this over with then…" sighed Kurama.

Kurama follows the two ninjas to the Hokage tower. He waits a little while before he enters the room. He is immediately confronted by an old man wearing a strange outfit.

* * *

"Please sit." The Hokage says, and Kurama follows his order.

"What is it that you wished to see me about sir?"

"Care to explain why you're living with Naruto Uzamaki?"

"Am I breaking any laws?" retorted Kurama.

"No, I'm just curious as to who would want to live with him. Most of the village rarely wants to be near him."

"I guess that explains the looks I got when I took Naruto to class."

"Who are you and why are you here?!" said the Hokage annoyed.

"My name is Kurama and I'm a friend of Naruto's. What more do you want?!"

"I want to know why you are living with him!" said the Hokage, angrily.

"I saw what his house was like and when he told me that he didn't have any parents I decided to stay and protect him. Is there anything WRONG about that?" said Kurama, his temper rising.

"Where are you from anyway?" said the Hokage suspiciously.

"I'm not from this village. I'm from a city a couple of miles away. Why?"

"That explains it… You're not familiar with the nine-tailed fox's attack 11 years ago."

"Nine-tailed Fox? You mean that fox I saw last night? He didn't seem all that bad," said Kurama with a shrug.

"You mean you saw the nine-tailed fox and weren't horrified?! What are you?!" said the Hokage in shock.

"I'm used to demonic creatures."

"You're not human at all, are you…"

"Half-human, if you want the simple version. I'm nothing more than a fox demon reborn inside a human form."

"Great…first the nine-tailed fox and now this!" snorted the Hokage.  
"What's so bad about Naruto having an older brother?!" said Kurama angrily.

"Older… You mean to say that you're going to act as an older brother!? What's next?"

"Me staying with him from now on."

"I guess I have no choice. I'm sorry if we were a bit rude, but nothing like this has ever happened before, and we're a bit wary after the incident with the Uchiha clan."

"What happened?"

"The prodigy of the clan, Itachi Uchiha, killed his entire clan except for his younger brother Sasuke."

"Woah…he must have had a messed up childhood…"

"Who knows? You're free to leave now," said the Hokage, his mind troubled.

"Thank you. I hope we don't have such problems any time soon. Naruto a big enough headache without others adding to it," joked Kurama.

* * *

He left without another word and picked up Naruto. Naruto was visibly upset, and this worried Kurama. 


	6. A rough start

**A rough start**

"What's wrong Naruto?"

"All the kids in class think you're crazy or stupid. They don't believe me at all!" said Naruto sadly.

"Don't worry about it… They can't be as bad your village leader was! He couldn't seem to grasp the concept that I actually care about you at all."

"The Hokage wanted to see you!? This day is going to the dogs…"

"More like 'foxes'," joked Kurama.

"So what are we gonna do now, nii-san?"

"_Did you just call him nii-san?!"_ exclaimed one of Naruto's classmates. It was a boy with a hooded shirt and a puppy riding on his head.

"SO?! What's it to you, Kiba?!" snorted Naruto angrily.

"Nothing… It's just that Akamaru wouldn't stop barking," said Kiba with a shrug.

"Is Akamaru the puppy?" said Kurama. He is answered by a bark. He chuckles quietly.

"So Naruto, is this the guy that everyone was talkin' about in class today?"

"Yup. This is Kurama," said Naruto who was starting to calm down.

"He doesn't seem all that weird to me…"

"You do realize that _normality_ is nothing but an illusion, right?" said Kurama.

"Never heard of that one…" admitted Kiba. A woman spots Kiba and freaks out when she sees Naruto. Kurama snorts as she literally drags Kiba and his dog away.

"Gee, the villagers are soooo _friendly_," said Kurama sarcastically.

* * *

They walk to the local store and Naruto waits outside while Kurama gets the food and supplies. Since the owners didn't know that he was with Naruto, they didn't give him any trouble. He walked out of there with his arms full of groceries.

"Nii-san, what exactly did you get?"

"Enough food to fill the fridge. Now all we need to do is get you some new clothes that actually fit," said Kurama with a grin.

"NANI?! But nii-san, I don't need any more clothes!"

"Naruto, half the clothes I washed looked like they barely even fit you! You need a new wardrobe. Hell, if nothing else you can have my old ones!"

"I don't know…"

"Naruto…" said Kurama as they reached the apartment.

"What is it nii-san?"

"Could you get the door? My hands are a bit full."

Naruto opened the door and helped Kurama put the groceries away. After that, Kurama checked Naruto's size and wrote it down. He turned and said to him before he left, "Naruto, I'll go down to the tailors and get you some new clothes. Any particular kind of design you want?"

"Spirals on the sleeve."

"I'll remember that. I'll be back, 'kay?"

"Yes, nii-san!" said Naruto with a groan.

* * *

An hour later, Kurama returned with a bag full of clothes for Naruto. Naruto was a bit excited as he saw all the new designs, most with the spiral on the left sleeve. He looked up at Kurama and gave him his usual fox grin. Then something occurred to him.

"Nii-san, how did you pay for this stuff?"

"The Hokage gave me some money since I told him I would be taking care of you from now on. I have a little left for other things, so what do you want to do?"

"Can we _please_ go play in the forest?"

Kurama laughed as he said, "Sure. I recommend that you change into one of your old clothes before we go."

Naruto changed into one of his oldest outfits that still fit and they went off into the forest to play.

"Nii-san, where do you get the rose that you use?"

"I grow them. Why, do you want to become a gardener?" joked Kurama.

"Yup! I want to be just as good as you with plants!" said Naruto with a straight face.

"I think we can figure something out…" said Kurama with a thoughtful look.

* * *

"Welcome to the flower shop. How may I... Naruto, what are _you_ doing in here?!" said Ino annoyed.

"He's with me. We just came in here to get some beginner's gardening supplies."

"You mean Naruto wants to become a gardener?! Now that's something I'd pay to see!" snorted Ino.

"Is there a problem?" asked Kurama coolly.

"Nah, it's just Naruto plus plants equal disaster. Oh well, it's a floral funeral!" snickered Ino as she went and got the supplies. Kurama held back a witty remark.

They left with the gardening supplies and headed straight home.


	7. A floral funeral narrowly avoided

**A floral funeral narrowly avoided**

"So which plant do you want to start with?"

"How 'bout roses?"

"I think you should start with something easier… say _mint_?"

"Mint comes from a plant?!" exclaimed Naruto in disbelief.

"Yes, mint comes from a plant…" chuckled Kurama.

Kurama brought out one of his favorite plants, a mint. He helped Naruto put it in one of the pots and showed him where to place it.

_

* * *

(A mint plant is a good choice for beginners. You can drown it in water and it will still grow. Mint tends to thrive in shady, cool places. Not to mention the fact that if you put mint leaves in a cup of hot water it will release the flavor of the plant. Best of all, it's perennial, which means it will come back every year.)_

* * *

Naruto began the next day with a yawn. He would have gone to get breakfast; however the scent of mint leaves next to his dresser reminded him that he had chores to take care of first. He went into the kitchen and saw Kurama fixing breakfast.

"Nii-san, where's the water for the mint?"

"Under the 'ramen cabinet'." Kurama and Naruto came up with a joke about the cabinet full of instant ramen. Hence the name 'ramen cabinet'.

"Arigato!" said Naruto as he went to water the mint. By the time he finished, Kurama was setting the table. (Much to Naruto's horror, Kurama had veggies on his plate!)

"Something wrong squirt?"

"I don't like vegetables…" murmured Naruto.

"Aw come on Naruto! My cooking isn't _THAT _bad!" laughed Kurama nervously. (Has never cook before once in his life!)

"Awright…"

Naruto sits down and takes his chopsticks; with a nervous gulp, he takes his first bite of cooked vegetables. After the first taste, Naruto realizes that maybe veggies aren't as bad as he thought! He starts to chow down with his usual fox grin. Sometime during his chowing down, Naruto had something caught in his throat for a moment. After a quick drink of milk, it goes down without any more problems. How could he have known that he had accidentally swallowed one of the deadliest plants from the demon plain?

Naruto headed to class, Kurama by his side. By the time they got there, Naruto's stomach was upset! Naruto ignored it and went in. His classmates never noticed that something was very wrong. By the time lunch rolled around, Naruto was feeling the pain.

_

* * *

Kyuubi realized around this time what had happened and sought to protect his host. He quickly found what was causing the problem, and almost groaned with dismay. It was one of the feared floras from his world, the Death Plant. Its venom was so potent that it could melt bones in a minute, and every second felt like an eternity of torture in itself. How Naruto had swallowed its seed was beyond him…_

_Kyuubi didn't know how to save the boy. That is, until he remembered something very important about the Death Plant. In order for it to grow, it had to be near a source of negative energy, preferably strong emotions like hate, jealousy and sorrow. Naruto had more than enough of those emotions to produce a pure Death Plant. But there was one thing that even Kyuubi and Yoko Kurama didn't know…_

_If the Death Plant was feed TOO much negative emotions, its growth rate would slow down considerably! Since Naruto had eaten the plant, all Kyuubi had to do to save him was move the seed into the core of Naruto's negative emotions! But Kyuubi didn't know this, so it was up to Naruto to move the seed. His chakra started going haywire; fortunately no one even noticed a thing. His chakra started moving in the wrong direction, taking the deadly seed with it. When it finally stopped, the seed was directly in the core of Naruto's emotions. Naruto was angry at Sasuke again, so the seed started to grow. But then Naruto felt his loneliness return, and the feeling was so strong that the seed was stopped. Naruto's stomach settled in time for class to start._

* * *

"So Naruto, how was school today?" asked Kurama.

"It was really weird… I came in today with an upset stomach, but after lunch it was fine!"

"That doesn't sound so weird," said Kurama.

"That's not the weird part. What was weird was the fact that I could feel my chakra moving in the wrong direction right before the lunch bell rang. After it stopped, the pain went away!" said Naruto with a puzzled look.

"I'm sure it was nothing."

_

* * *

**Nothing my ass!**_

**Kyuubi-san, is that you?!**

_**Yes it's me; who else can talk to you through telepathy?!**_

**What's wrong?**

_**Your cooking! Did you know that the brat ate a Death Plant seed this morning?!**_

**WHAT! That's impossible!**

_**I'm dead serious. Remember how he was slightly choking this earlier? It was a Death Plant seed in his throat!**_

**Are you positive that it was a Death Plant?**

_**Yes, because there's no mistaking that plant's aura. **_

**Did you manage to get it out in time?**

_**No.**_

**NO! What do you mean no?!**

_**The boy's chakra moved the seed before I realized what was happening. By the time it stopped, the seed was firmly rooted in his emotions.**_

**Crap. He doesn't have long before that thing explodes from within and kills him.**

_**Not exactly… Earlier he was angry at one of his classmates and it started growing. Then I felt this very strong wave of sorrow and loneliness and the plant's growth was stopped entirely.**_

**How the hell did that happen?!**

_**I suppose the surge was too great for it to handle. If that's the case, then there's a good chance the brat will become immune to its venom as he grows older.**_

**Let's hope so…**

* * *

Naruto fell fast asleep that night, completely content after the meal Kurama made for him. It took Kurama an hour before he finally fell fast asleep… 


	8. A blood pact with plants

**A blood pact with plants**

By accidentally eating a Death Plant seed, Naruto had done something unheard of for humans. _He had inadvertently made a blood-pact with the plant world._ Now, in the shinobi world, a blood-pact isn't too uncommon. But a blood pact made with plants had never been done before! Naruto wouldn't have any idea of this until the next day, when he conned Kurama into teaching him to do the Rose Whip again. When Naruto originally started practicing the Rose Whip, he was lucky if he could get it to change form at all. But this time…

* * *

"WOAH! Nii-san, you have to come see this!" exclaimed Naruto excitedly. 

"What is it Naru… What on earth?!" said Kurama in surprise.

In Naruto's hand was a perfect _Rose Whip_. Naruto was somehow able to create a Rose Whip with no trouble at all!

"I don't believe it… How on earth did you pull it off?!" exclaimed Kurama in shock.

"Dunno… All I did was visualize the Rose Whip you showed me and when I opened my eyes, here it was!"

_---------_

_This makes no sense…A week ago Naruto couldn't even get it to change, and yet now he's created a perfect Rose Whip in one try! What is going on here?! I know Naruto hasn't been practicing the Whip!_

_---------_

"Ah well… I guess we might as well go on to the second lesson of plants…" said Kurama with a sigh.

"REALLY?!" said Naruto happily.

"Yup. Now I get to teach you how to ask the flora world for help."

"Flora world?"

"There are two categories which you should remember. The first is the flora, or plant. The second is fauna, or animal."

"Flora and fauna. Plant and animal."

"Now the animal world is the one where foxes, dogs, cats and other creatures exist. The floral world is the place where roses, mint and other plants co-exist peacefully… _scratch that, they live peacefully most of the time_."

"Got it."

"Now in the fauna, or animal plain, the demon lords rule the lands and seas. Can you give me an example of a demon lord?" asked Kurama with a grin.

"Um… does the nine-tailed fox count as one?" asked Naruto.

"Very good. The nine-tailed fox is the one who rules over both _fauna/animals _and_ flora/plants._ The other lords don't have this ability."

"Why's that?"

"Naruto, what comes to mind when you hear the word 'forest'."

"Trees, foxes, bushes, squirrels…"

"Exactly. Trees and bushes are the plants, while foxes and squirrels are animals. You starting to get it?" said Kurama.

"I think so. So the nine-tailed fox is the demon lord of the forests?"

_

* * *

**I don't believe it… He's not as dumb as he looks after all…** _

"What the… nii-san, did you hear that?!" said Naruto in shock.

"Hear what?"

"That voice! I could have sworn that I heard someone talking just now!"

"Voice? Must be Kyuubi-sama…" murmured Kurama thoughtfully.

"Kyuubi-sama? Doesn't Kyuubi mean nine-tails?"

"Yup. Can you think of anyone who'd fit _that_ description?"

"The fox?"

"Bingo."

"I don't get it… The fourth Hokage killed the nine-tailed fox!" said Naruto confused.

_**HE DIDN'T KILL ME YOU BAKA! HE SEALED ME AWAY!!!**_ Kyuubi roared.

"S-s-sorry!" stammered Naruto nervously. Kurama tried not to laugh.

"Calm down Kyuubi… he doesn't know what really happened yet!" laughed Kurama.

"Nii-san, you mean that you can hear him too?" said Naruto amazed.

"Yup."

"So where is he?" asked Naruto looking all around for the nine-tailed fox.

_**You can't find me in the mortal realm, fool. I'm stuck inside something!**_

"Stuck? Stuck in what?"

"Kyuubi, I think it's time you showed yourself."

_**Give me a minute… I don't know if I can come out so easily without dealing with this damn seal in the process.**_

* * *

As Naruto watched in silent respect, a _two-tailed_ fox slowly started to materialize next to him. 

"I thought you had nine…" started Naruto; he shut up pretty quick after receiving a glare from the fox.

**"_I do have nine you brat. It's just that the damn seal prevents me from materializing with more than two-tails!"_** snorted Kyuubi irritably.

"Sorry…" said Naruto.

"That's enough Kyuubi. Care to help me teach Naruto about the way of plants and animals?" said Kurama quickly.

"_Fine. You do the plants and I'll do the creatures."_

Naruto spent four hours straight with both Kurama and Kyuubi. Kurama went first, teaching Naruto all about plants from both demon and mortal plains. Kyuubi patiently dealt with Naruto and his never-ending questions about the animal kingdom. By the time Kyuubi finished Naruto's first lesson on the animals, Naruto was worn out. Kurama chuckled lightly at the sight of Kyuubi allowing Naruto to curl up next to him.

"You don't look so cold-hearted with the boy sleeping next to you," joked Kurama.

**"_Shut up…"_** griped Kyuubi.

"So am I going to be the one to carry him or do you want to?" asked Kurama.

**"_I would, but if the villagers saw me right now they'd panic and come after you two."_**

"Good point. Think you can take care of him for a week?"

**"_Why?"_**

"Because I have a feeling that my friends are looking for me."

* * *

Kurama gently picks Naruto up and heads home. They both fall sound asleep on the bed as soon as their heads hit the pillow. 


	9. Kurama's friends

**Kurama's friends**

"_Where the hell did Kurama run off to this time?!" said a boy with greasy jet-black hair._

"_I have no idea. Though when I get my hands on that blasted fox I'm gonna…!" said an equally angry demon with spiky black hair._

"_Now, now Yusuke and Hiei, you shouldn't be so hard on Kurama!" said a girl with long blue hair._

"_Yeah, Urameshi__! It's not Kurama's fault that he isn't here!" said a boy with a strange red-hairstyle._

"_SO WHERE IS HE THEN?!" roared Yusuke._

* * *

Kurama woke up with a start. He knew what his dream meant. His suspicions were confirmed; they _were_ looking for him! Naruto stirred and opened a weary eye.

"Nii-san? What's wrong?" he said tiredly.

"I'm afraid my past life is starting to catch up with me…" murmured Kurama quietly.

"What do you mean?" asked Naruto confused.

"My friends back home are looking for me… I was afraid this would happen."

"Your friends?"

"Yeah… Knowing them, they won't stop until they find me!" groaned Kurama in horror.

"Is that bad?"

"My friends aren't the sort to stand around… I know that none of them even know what the word _tactful_ means!"

"Oh…" said Naruto with a yawn.

"Go back to sleep, Naruto. Tomorrow we have a big day ahead…" murmured Kurama. Naruto shook his head, determined to stay awake.

"Oh no you don't squirt…" chuckled Kurama. He softly sang a lullaby that his mother used when he was a kid. Naruto fell back fast asleep against him. Kurama fell asleep shortly after.

* * *

Back in Kurama's home town…

"That's it! I've had it! If Kurama doesn't return by tomorrow, I'm going looking for him!" said Yusuke angrily.

"Calm down Yusuke!" said the blue haired girl.

"I will NOT calm down Botan! He's been gone for three weeks straight! Even his mom is worried!"

"Still…" said Botan.

"Urameshi, don't take out your anger on Botan!" said the red-head.

"Can it Kuwabara!" growled Yusuke angrily.

The four decided then and there, if Kurama didn't return by noon the next day, they'd all go after him!

* * *

Noon the next day…

"So we're all agreed then?" said Hiei.

"Let's just go already!"

**"_Go where exactly?"_** said a fox from out of nowhere.

"What the… where'd that fox come from?!" said Yusuke in shock.

**"_I came from a village a few miles off called Konoha. It's a ninja village, by the way…"_** the fox answered with a cocky smirk.

"So what! What do you want anyway, stupid fox?" snorted Kuwabara. The name 'stupid fox' caught its attention pretty quick. The fox's reaction?

One minute Kuwabara was standing, the next there was a pair of cold and very sharp fangs at his throat; the fox's claws dug deep into his shoulder blades.

"GET OFF OF ME YOU DUMB FOX!" roared Kuwabara angrily.

**"_Make me brat. Here's a little advice for you, punk. CALL ME A DUMB OR STUPID FOX ONE MORE TIME AND I'LL RIP YOUR THROAT OUT!"_** snarled the fox. (You can tell he was pissed now.)

"Kuwabara, you did kinda ask for it. You shouldn't call a demon fox stupid," said Botan with a laugh.

**"_She is partially right, brat. I AM a demon fox, but I am more than a simple youkai,"_** snorted the fox.

"JUST GET OFF OF ME!" growled Kuwabara annoyed.

----------

_**This kid is officially working MY LAST NERVE. I wonder if Yoko would mind if I brought Naruto out here to deal with him…**_

_What's wrong, Kyuubi-sama? _

_**Some punk keeps calling me a stupid fox!**_

_Do you think nii-san would mind me coming to you and dealing with him?_

_**If he does, then he'll have to get on my case and NOT yours. How do you plan on getting here?**_

_Running. Why?_

_**Screw that. Ever gone through a Teleport Jutsu?**_

_No…_

_**Would you like to?**_

_Yeah!_

_**Hang on then!**_

---------

The fox jumped off Kuwabara long enough to go through a series of signs and growled 'Teleport no Jutsu!'

A cloud of smoke appears, and a child with _blond hair and fox whiskers on his face appeared._

"_That was cool!"_ he exclaimed.

**"_I had a feeling you'd say something like that, squirt!"_** laughed the fox.

"So which one called you a dumb fox, Kyuubi-san?" asked the boy.

"What the hell?! Who's this brat?!" exclaimed Yusuke.

"My name isn't brat, it's Naruto!" grumbled Naruto irritably.

"Whatever! Care to explain why you happen to show up right before we go looking for our friend?!" snorted Yusuke.

"What's your friend's name?" asked Naruto.

"Kurama." Hiei said before the other two caused any more trouble.

"Kurama?! No way!" said Naruto in disbelief.

"What's wrong brat? Think the name's weird?!" snorted Yusuke annoyed.

"No, it's just that Kurama is the name of my older brother!"


	10. Kurama, you've got some explaining to do

**Kurama, you have some explaining to do!**

"Kurama is your older brother… HOW STUPID DO YOU TAKE US FOR?!" growled Yusuke.

**"_On a scale of 1 to 10?"_** said Kyuubi and Naruto in unison.

Hiei and Botan try to hold back their laughs, but fail miserably. Naruto grins and Hiei immediately notices something.

"Kid, has anyone told you that you look like a fox when you grin?" asked Hiei.

"Nii-san says that a lot," admitted Naruto.

"So, Naruto wasn't it?" asked Botan. He nodded and she continued, "Is there any way you could take us to see your older brother?"

"I think so…" said Naruto. He looked at Kyuubi who nodded. Kyuubi went the same set of hand seals; Botan and Hiei were the only ones to be teleported to Konoha.

"HEY! WHAT ABOUT US?!" shouted Yusuke and Kuwabara in unison. (Kyuubi and the others were long since out of hearing range by this time.)

* * *

At Naruto and Kurama's apartment…

A cloud of smoke appears in the kitchen, where Kurama was busy fixing breakfast. He turns around quickly and his jaw drops as he realizes _who_ was inside the smoke!

"Hiei?! Botan?! What…how…?!"

"Hello Kurama, we were looking for you!" said Botan cheerfully.

"Naruto, is this Kyuubi's doing?" asked Kurama suspiciously.

"Yup. Uh-oh! With all the excitement I forgot to water the plant!" Naruto said before he grabbed the water jug and dashed into his room to water the mint. This left Kurama all alone with his friends for about five minutes.

"So, Kurama, is Naruto really your younger brother?" asked Botan.

"Not really. I was walking through the woods one day and happened to come across him while he was training. Some drunk attacked him, so I saved him and have been here ever since."

"Who was that fox earlier?" asked Hiei.

"Kyuubi, lord of the forests that surround this village."

"That would explain why he got so mad at Kuwabara…" commented Botan.

"What did he do?"

"That idiot kept calling Kyuubi a stupid fox," replied Hiei.

"That means he's dumber than he looks," said Kurama annoyed.

"And this is a surprise how?" Hiei snorted.

Naruto returned, filled the jug up and put it back where it went. Kurama chuckled when he heard the boy's stomach roar! He placed the food on the table and continued talking to Hiei and Botan until Naruto was finished. Naruto put the dishes in the sink, then he got dressed and rushed to class. (He barely made it on time!)

* * *

"So Kurama, does he know about the fact that you're a demon in human form yet?" said Hiei.

"No more than he does about Kyuubi being inside him," replied Kurama.

"Kyuubi? You mean the fox from earlier?!" exclaimed Botan.

"The same. I thought it'd be best if he found that out on his own," said Kurama.

"So what do you plan on doing now? You can't stay here forever you know," said Hiei.

"I'll come back eventually, just not right now. Naruto doesn't have anyone else," said Kurama.

"You know that we can't leave here without taking you with us, right?" said Botan.

"Please tell me you're joking! I just told you that I can't leave right now!" exclaimed Kurama.

"Koenma gave me the order to drag you back if necessary," said Botan sadly.

"And what about Naruto?! You don't expect me to leave him all alone again do you!?"

"I have no choice Kurama! Koenma will never let me return to the spirit world without bringing you back!"

"So what am I supposed to do then? Kyuubi doesn't know a thing about plants! He covers the animals!"

"Why don't you send him to the Demon world then? Send him back to your previous life; I'm sure your other half could teach him until you return," said Hiei reasonably.

"You mean time-travel between worlds?! Are you insane?! There's no way I'd put Naruto through that hell!" replied Kurama, with a look of horror on his face.

**"_I wouldn't exactly call that hell for an eleven-year-old boy. It will probably seem like an adventure to him,"_ **said Kyuubi suddenly.

"KYUUBI! Could you come here a little closer? I'm afraid I didn't quite catch what you said…" said Kurama with a certain look in his eyes. Kyuubi did come closer, only to get a large bump on his head from Kurama's fist!

**"_OW!! What the hell was THAT for?!" _**growled Kyuubi angrily.

"_That_ was for bringing them here! What were you thinking?!" retorted Kurama.

"Calm down Kurama. Anyway, Kyuubi has a valid point. Children aren't as easy to scare as adults when it comes to the unexplained." Botan said quickly.

"I know, but still…"

**"_Look, if anything happens then I'll be there to protect him!"_** growled Kyuubi annoyed.

Kurama could tell that he was fighting a losing battle. So he decided to cut his losses by saying, "Fine, you win. But only on one condition. Kyuubi, you must NOT reveal yourself in front of my other half in the past unless there are no other options left!"

**"_YOU THINK I DON'T KNOW THAT?!"_**

"So all we have to do is wait until Naruto returns!" said Botan happily. (She naïvely thinks that this would solve all the problems!)

* * *

Three hours later…

"Nii-san! I'm home!" called Naruto from the kitchen.

"How was class?" said Kurama cheerfully.

"It was awful! Iruka-sensei was yelling at me again! You know, sometimes I wish I could live somewhere else…" Naruto replied, bored.

"Then today's your lucky day kid!" snickered Hiei.

"Nii-san, why are they still here?" asked Naruto quietly.

"Naruto, I have something I need to talk to you about…" said Kurama slowly. Naruto heard the tone of his voice and _knew _that whatever it was, it wasn't good!

It took over an hour to fully explain the situation, and by that time Naruto was very upset. Kurama tried to cheer him up, but the problem was that he had no idea how! Enter Kyuubi…

**"_Look at it this way Naruto, if you go back into the past and meet his other half, then you'll learn more about him from this timeline!"_**

"I know but…" said Naruto sadly.

**"_Don't you want to get to know Kurama a little better? Besides, Yoko Kurama is a lot better at plants."_**

"Really?" said Naruto, his eyes starting to cheer up again.

"It's sad but true I'm afraid!" laughed Kurama.

"But what about my classes?"

"We're talking _time-travel_ Naruto! You could go to the past and return an hour after you left!" said Kurama.

"What are we waiting for then?! Let's go!" said Naruto happily.

* * *

Naruto/Kyuubi left into the past inside the Demon World where Hiei, Kurama and Kyuubi originally came from. Kurama left the village with a heavy heart. There was only one thought going through his mind as he left the gates…

_Please stay safe Naruto…_


	11. In the domain of the Demon Fox

**In the domain of the Demon Fox**

"WOAH!" cried Naruto as he exited the time-stream. He landed on his back, and was unable to get up for five minutes. When he was finally able to sit up, he took a look around.

----------

_**Be wary, Naruto. We're in my World now, and the creatures here are about as merciful as an enemy ninja.**_

_Thanks for the tip Kyuubi-san! I'll try to be careful!_

_**When you're ready, we'll start looking for the Demon Thief.**_

-----------

Ten minutes later, Naruto was wandering around the Demon World; his eyes were wide with wonder at the sight of the various creatures and plants around him. He remained in the shadows at all times, careful not to allow the demons around him alerted to his presence.

Kyuubi was looking around as well, though his eyes were alight with pain and wariness. His pain was from the fact that he missed his home world, the wariness from knowing that dark and terrible things lay in wait for unsuspecting wanderers.

Naruto sat down after a few hours; he was exhausted. Kyuubi remained alert for both of them, one eye on Naruto at all times. It wasn't until he felt a certain aura that he even moved.

_

* * *

**Naruto, be on your guard! Someone or something is coming, and whatever it is, it isn't friendly…**_

_Kyuubi…_

_**Yes Naruto?**_

_I'm scared._

_**You brought your seeds didn't you?**_

_Yeah…I never go anywhere without them any more._

_**Then you shouldn't be so afraid. So long as you're surrounded by plants from either world, they will protect you.**_

_Really?_

_**Yes. You have your kunai and shurinkens with you?**_

_A ninja never leaves home without them._

_**Just checking.**_

* * *

The origin of the aura was soon revealed. It was…_a nine-tailed fox?!_

_**NARUTO! Stay perfectly still and don't make a sound!**_

_Why?! What's going on?!_

_**I can't believe I didn't notice it sooner…**_

_KYUUBI!!_

_**We were in the King of Thieves territory this entire time!**_

_King of Thieves?_

_**That was Yoko Kurama's alias before he was stuck in the human world. **_

_Then why do I have to remain quiet?_

_**Because Yoko Kurama wasn't known as the forgiving type when it came to trespassers in HIS domain!**_

_Oh…_

Yoko Kurama passed by them; he never stopped once. Kyuubi let a silent sigh of relief. They had escaped his notice…for now.

_

* * *

Yoko Kurama's POV…during Naruto and Kyuubi's silent conversation_

**What the… I wonder whose hiding? No matter… I'll deal with them after I put my prize away.**

Yoko Kurama ran past the intruder without stopping, _to give them a false sense of security._ It took him two hours to safely store that night's successful theft. Afterwards, he was about to relax when he remembered the intruder from earlier.

**I think it's time to find out who they are and why they're in MY territory!** Yoko thought with a deep chuckle. He left his den and had to spend a few moments locating the intruder. When he found him, he was mildly angered by the aura. _It was ANOTHER nine-tailed fox, like himself._

Now normally Yoko Kurama wouldn't mind another fox demon entering his turf. But he always checked their reasons if they neglected to reveal themselves immediately upon his return. If they were just passing through, then he left them alone. _But if they stayed and didn't leave, then he got angry._ If a fellow kitsune was in his territory for more than a day, then it usually meant two things. Either he wanted something or he was trying to take Yoko Kurama's turf away. (The latter rarely happened with the older foxes. Most of the time it was a cocky younger fox.)

He headed to the aura's origin, and was caught off-guard by where it came from! The aura was coming from high up in a tree, which even Yoko couldn't climb in his fox form. This only annoyed Yoko even more, and he switched back into his human form and climbed. What he discovered confused him even further… For in the tree was… _a young blond haired boy with whisker-like marks on his face?!_

When the child felt the branch he was sitting on move, he turned to face Yoko. Much to Yoko's amusement, it took the child 5 seconds to realize what he was looking at. When that happened, the boy yelped in shock and fell out of the branch, sprawled out unconscious! (He was pretty high up if you haven't guessed.)

Yoko waited patiently for the boy to wake up. Five minutes later, the boy stirred. He sat up, and his eyes widened in surprise again when Yoko came into his line of sight. He didn't yelp this time, or even move. This surprised Yoko; he had expected the boy to at least stand up.

* * *

**"Who are you and why are you in my territory?!"** demanded Yoko.

"My name is Naruto. I was simply trying to regain my strength before I continued on."

**"I'd believe you, but that doesn't explain why you stayed for the past _2_ hours!"** snorted Yoko.

Naruto tried to think of a believable bluff when he realized that the fox demon was losing his patience.

"I saw you come in earlier and panicked. I climbed up that tree to stay out of your way long enough to run."

Yoko could see that the boy wasn't telling the entire truth. This annoyed him to no end.

**"You may be telling the truth, but you're holding back what I REALLY want to know!"** snarled Yoko.

"Actually, the only reason I stopped here to begin with was to check out the plant life here."

**"IS THAT ALL?!"** said Yoko annoyed.

_

* * *

Kyuubi's POV…during Naruto and Yoko Kurama's talk_

_**Crap. If he finds out the truth, Naruto will be dead! And judging by the look on his face, he has already sensed MY aura! DAMN!**_

Naruto was beginning to panic. Kyuubi knew that he didn't have much time. It was clear that Yoko's patience was beginning to wear thin; if Naruto didn't run soon, he wouldn't live to see the next morning! He quickly ran through their options.

1. He could reveal himself and tell Yoko Kurama everything

2. Naruto makes a run for it and tries to escape capture

3. They could sit there and wait to die

4. Naruto attacks Yoko with his Rose Whip and hopes to see tomorrow

All in all, their options weren't looking good. Naruto was panicking big time. He didn't know what he should do at all. So Naruto did the only thing he could think of. Run.

He bolted faster than Yoko Kurama could blink; he didn't stop until the fox demon was far behind.


	12. The Demon Fox's patience wears thin

**The Demon Fox's patience wears thin**

**Maybe that brat won't return… If he does, then there shall be no mercy again! Yoko thought irritably.**

_**

* * *

You did the right thing Naruto.**_

_Maybe… But I doubt if nii-san will agree. That was nii-san's other form, right?_

_**Yes. But remember, this ISN'T the older brother you know. He hasn't been stuck inside a human body for sixteen years yet. The Kurama we just encountered was how he was BEFORE then!**_

_Now you tell me?!_

_**No matter… Right now what YOU need to worry about is getting some rest.**_

_Where?_

_**See that tree over there? There's a small hole inside. Yoko Kurama won't bother you in there.**_

_You sure?_

_**Don't worry… The only reason he even found you up there to begin with was because he followed MY aura. I'm gonna decrease it enough so that the Death Tree's aura overpowers my own.**_

_What?_

_**Never mind… Just go to sleep. We'll work SOMETHING out tomorrow, 'kay?**_

_Okay… Good night Kyuubi._

_**Night runt.**_

_HEY!_

* * *

Naruto fell fast asleep inside the trunk of the old tree. He had no idea that the tree was originally a Death Tree… similar to the seed he ate by accident! Yoko Kurama never noticed this, so he also went to sleep.

The next morning, nothing short of all hell broke loose! Naruto woke up, ready to face the nightmare that was Yoko Kurama (almost anyway,) when he noticed that he dropped something that he refused to leave at home! It was a summoning scroll that contained something very precious to him…the mint plant that his brother gave him.

---------

_Kyuubi, please tell me that you know where I dropped that scroll!_

_**Unfortunately I don't. Why?  
**That scroll I brought with me contained the mint plant! _

_**You baka! Why the hell did you bring THAT with you?!**_

_Nii-san gave it too me. It's my responsibility and I don't want any guilt over it dying because I was here and didn't water it!_

**…**

---------

Yoko Kurama woke up, and through an animal's sixth sense, knew that the boy was still there in his territory. Now this pissed him off to no end.

**If I catch that little… I hope he's ready to die today!**

Yoko transformed into his fox self and went in search of Naruto.

Naruto stopped near the base of the same tree where he fell. He did a thorough search and still he couldn't find his precious scroll. He was so intent on finding it that he never noticed Yoko Kurama approaching.

**"Come back for more suffering boy?"** said Yoko angrily.

"ACK! Aw man, why did I have to run into you now of all times?!" groaned Naruto. He turned around and keeps searching; though this time he did it with his eyes and stayed perfectly still.

**"What are you doing boy? Do you really think that staying still will keep me from seeing you?"** snorted Yoko. His eyebrows went up in amusement as Naruto shot him a look that said, "Whatever…"

"What do you want now, Yoko-san?" said Naruto bored.

**"I could ask you the same thing… It's pretty damn obvious that you're looking for something."**

"Figures you would notice that!" snorted Naruto irritably.

**"Perhaps that strange scroll I found yesterday?"** hinted Yoko. His suspicion was confirmed as Naruto spun around in shock.

"YOU have it?!" said Naruto in horror.

**"You dropped it when you ran. I would have destroyed it if it hadn't fallen open and revealed those strange symbols…"**

"Well at least I know where it is now…" said Naruto with a silent sigh of relief.

**"Is that small scroll so valuable?"**

"It is to me. You probably won't be able to get the thing out anyway," said Naruto; he had come up with a plan to retrieve it.

**"What thing?"** said Yoko, his interest piqued.

"That scroll had a summoning spell in it. One only I can use. I had something sealed in it before I left home."

**"Really? Prove it and I might spare your miserable life…"** said Yoko, who was bored.

* * *

He led Naruto to his den and brought out the scroll. Naruto made a few hands signs to distract him, and then summoned his plant out. Yoko's eyes shot up in amusement. What amused him was the fact that the child considered a common weed precious enough to seal away!

**"That's all that was in there?"** said Yoko in disbelief.

"What's so funny?!" growled Naruto angrily.

**"You think that that common weed is precious enough to seal away using a scroll?! Now that's amusing!"**

"Mint is a weed?!" said Naruto in shock.

**"You didn't know that?!"** retorted Yoko.

"Don't laugh at me, you blasted fox thief!" snarled Naruto.

**"Watch it, punk. I was planning on letting you live!"** growled Yoko.

"How do I know that I can trust your word?"

**"You don't."**

"In that case… _I'm outta here!_" said Naruto as he bolted yet again. But this time, he was ensnared by a Death Tree a few meters away from Yoko's den.

**"You do realize that you've signed your own death, right?"**

"Shut up, _blasted fox,"_ snorted Naruto. His glare only caused Yoko to laugh. (Naruto, glaring a people works a LOT better when you're NOT being hung upside down by a carnivorous plant!)


	13. The Death Tree's venom

**The Death Tree's venom**

**"I think I'll stick around and watch you slowly die…" **smirked Yoko evilly.

Naruto gulped as the Death Tree's fanged mouth came closer, venom dripping with a hiss. He yelped as it bit him, and Yoko was shocked to find that the boy wasn't screaming in agony from his bones being melted by the venom!

**"Impossible… How can you not feel the effects of the venom?"**

* * *

Naruto was unable to answer, as he had no idea himself. All he knew was that the Tree's fangs hurt like hell! His blood dripped from the wound, and to his amazement, a vine slowly emerged from _within his own arm!_

"What…what's happening?!" cried Naruto.

The vine kept growing, finally free from Naruto's overwhelming negative emotions! Much to Yoko and Naruto's horror, the end of the vine slowly turned into a fanged mouth similar to the plant that was holding him! It slowly wrapped itself around Naruto, and then struck at any fangs that even came near him. The Death Tree slowly let Naruto down, and left him alone. When he was finally free from its grasp, the vine receded back into Naruto without a fuss. When it vanished, Naruto fainted.

Yoko Kurama had two options. Either he let the boy live in his domain or he throws the kid out! He started to approach Naruto, only to jump back as the vine reappeared! After he backed off, the wound on Naruto's arm quickly healed itself. He went back to his den, and fell fast asleep, his head swirling with questions.

_

* * *

What happened?_

_**You fell unconscious after you were freed from the Death Tree.**_

_Where am I?_

_**You're still in Yoko Kurama's territory, though I think he might reconsider throwing you out…**_

_Why?_

_**He's curious about the vine from earlier. Judging by his actions, I'd say that he'll let you stay in his turf for a while… Though I seriously doubt that he'll come to your aid.**_

_I'm used to that…_

_**You shouldn't be… The way the villager's treated you was cruel.**_

_Tell me something I don't already know._

* * *

Naruto slowly got up, his head aching. When he could finally stand and not fall down, he wandered off into the forest _away _from the Demon Fox's den.Yoko Kurama watched him, and when he was out of sight, he fell back asleep.

It rained for a few days after that. Naruto hurriedly found shelter, though he was already soaking wet. He sat there, shivering in the cold, waiting for the rain to leave. By the time that it did go away, Naruto was feeling sick. He stumbled around, finally passing out on top of a tree branch very high up. Yoko Kurama was about to scout his territory, as was his wont after a rain storm. Then he noticed something odd; the boy's aura was all wrong! He went to investigate, and was worried to find the boy high up in a tree. He went up, and starts to feel genuine concern when he feels Naruto's temperature. _Naruto had a high fever._

Yoko had several options open. He could leave the boy there to fend for himself, or he could take him back to his den and try to help the fever to break. He gently picked Naruto up and carried him into his den, where he curled up next to him.

_I'm warm… where am I?_

Naruto slowly opens his eyes; right after Yoko curled up around him to keep him warm. He instinctively curls up closer, and Yoko's eyes widen slightly in shock. Then they fall asleep, comforted by each other's warmth.

_It took Naruto a week to recover from his fever; by then, something between him and the Demon Fox had changed._

* * *

Yoko Kurama was preparing to pull off yet another theft. But this time, something went wrong. Yoko Kurama got the artifact, but at a great cost. He nearly lost his life! He stumbled wearily back to his territory, and to his shock, Naruto was already at the border waiting!

At first, Yoko thought that Naruto was there to kill him. But as he came closer, he saw the look of worry and relaxed slightly. He nearly collapsed at the border, and Naruto rushed up to him and carefully picked the weakened thief up. As quickly as he could without causing Yoko pain, Naruto ran straight back to the den. He lay the unconscious fox down and started treating the wounds. Yoko wearily opened one of his eyes and stared at Naruto.

**"Why? Why are you helping me, even after all that I've put you through?"** Yoko asked weakly.

"Because you're my friend."

**"A friend? What's that?"**

Naruto grinned as he remembered saying that once to his soon-to-be-older-brother Kurama.

"A friend is someone who's there for you and is on your side."

**"I've never had a friend before…"**

"You do now. Stay still would ya? I'm trying to keep your wounds from opening back up!" scolded Naruto.

**"Kid, has anyone ever told you that your grin is like that of a fox?" chuckled Yoko.**

"You have no idea how many times I've been asked that same question!" snickered Naruto. Yoko remained perfectly still as Naruto dressed the wounds. He fell fast asleep, his head in the boy's lap.

Naruto treated Yoko's wounds for a month straight before the fox was able to walk again. He never complained once about having to do it either. Yoko now had a newfound respect for Naruto, and decided to let him stay around for as long as he wanted. He even taught Naruto a few things about the plants from the Demon World. The more he learned, the deeper his bond with his older brother became. Yoko treated Naruto like a kid brother, as well as an accomplice in theft. Naruto picked up a few 'shady' tricks, such as spying and other tactics. He stayed with Yoko, never leaving his side. Then came the day that changed it all.

* * *

Yoko was doing his usual bit, stealing valuables, when suddenly he's attacked out of no where by a bounty hunter! He was critically wounded, and was forced to take a human form to survive. Naruto waited patiently by the border of Yoko's territory waiting for him, to no avail. When he realized that Yoko wasn't coming back, he cried.

_**Naruto, I think it's time we went home.**_

_But what if he comes back and we're not here?!_

_**Naruto, he isn't coming back. The last theft was the one that forced him to take human form for 16 years.**_

_Are you sure?_

_**It is the right year, and it explains where he is.**_

_What do I do? I don't want to leave his home at the mercy of the other demons!_

_**I agree. I'll put a seal on it that only he can break, and then we'll go home. Agreed?**_

Kyuubi places an ancient seal on Kurama's domain, and then they head back to the den for one final night there. It was then that Naruto discovers a note left for him by Yoko.

_

* * *

Naruto, I am glad to have known you for as long as I have. If I ever fail to return one day, I want you to know that I'm leaving my territory to you. When you leave this world behind, take the staff with the crescent moon on it with you. It will protect and help you wherever you go. Farewell, Yoko Kurama_

* * *

Naruto found the staff and held it close as he fell asleep for the last time. When he woke up, he was shocked to discover Kurama curled up next to him in his room. He was home again… 


	14. Review now if you want an UPDATE!

**Review if you want an UPDATE!**

Sorry it took so long to actually update the fic. I would have done this sooner, but I took the advice of my BETA and didn't post the chapter I created. However, now I think it's up to the readers to decide whether or not the chap goes on the site. Here's the basic dilemma: the chapter I originally created would have turned the fic into a TRIPLE crossover. My beta said that most people don't like a 3-way crossover, which is why I didn't post it. The chapter basically sends Naruto into the Digital World and turns him into _Renamon._ I was planning on having him go through the Digimon Tamers series, but I followed the advice of my beta and DID NOT post the chapter. Now I ask you: do you want to read a three-way crossover, OR would you prefer I send Naruto and Kurama into the Dark Tournament saga?

Send your responses through PMs please. The decision of whether or not I update soon depends on the answers I get from everyone. I check my e-mail daily! Also, don't be surprised if I send a reply for your input. It's my little way of making the fanfic better for everyone!


	15. Journey to the Dark Tournament

_**The readers have spoken! After getting many responses to my fanfic, The Kyuubi Brothers, I have decided NOT to turn it into a 3-way crossover. Sorry it took me so long to update the fic everyone. I would have done so sooner if it weren't for two reasons.**_

_**The chapter I originally created turned the fic into a triple crossover and I wasn't sure whether I should post it or not.**_

_**My beta seemed to think that I should become familiar with the Yu Yu Hakusho series all over again.**_

_**I have only seen up to the end of the Dark Tournament, so please don't be mad if I after that saga I slow down on the updates like before. Thanks to all the readers who responded to the last chapter! NOW ON TO THE FIC!**_

**Journey to the Dark Tournament**

"Welcome back, otouto!" said Kurama. (Otouto means 'little brother'.)

"Ohayo, nii-san!" replied Naruto.

"Have fun in my past, squirt?"

"Yup!" said Naruto happily.

"How 'bout you, Kyuubi-san?"

"_**Depends on your definition of FUN."**_

"I take it he wasn't happy?"

"He wasn't much fun to be around. Some days he'd be fine and we could deal with him. But mostly he was moody and almost impossible to even be around."

"_**I HEARD THAT!"**_

"See what I mean?"

"Kyuubi, what's wrong? Why are you in such a foul mood?" asked Kurama, concerned.

"_**You know what happens when your past self gets a warning from the present?"**_

"It usually ends badly. Why?"

"_**DO you have any idea how hard it was for me to just stand around and not tell my former self what would happen in a couple of decades?!"**_

"Ah…that explains it," said Kurama.

"What do you mean, nii-san?" asked Naruto.

"Kyuubi wanted to warn his old self not to attack the village in anger. But if he did, then there might have been even more dire consequences."

"What does dire mean?"

"It means that something even _worse_ could have happened."

"So where did you go, nii-san?" Naruto asked, changing the subject.

"I went to help my friends deal with these bugs that were hurting people. Unfortunately, I might have to leave again soon," said Kurama.

"Nii-san, why do you have to leave so much?"

"My friends keep getting into major trouble and need my help…a lot of help."

"Nii-san…next time you leave to help your friends, can I come too? It gets lonely around here when you're gone."

"I don't know… I guess it depends on whether or not the Hokage will let you."

* * *

"Naruto?! Are you daft? There's no way I'll allow him to leave for over a month!" said the Hokage, horrified.

"What are you so worried about? It's not like I'm taking him away forever!" said Kurama surprised.

"He is a shinobi-in-training! What if someone from a rival village captured him while he was gone?!" protested Iruka.

"First off, the chances of a rival ninja from another village even being at the places I go are zero. Secondly, they'd have to get past me and my friends."

"But…!" started Iruka.

"If you worried about Naruto's schooling, then relax. I'll make sure he trains and gets his work done."

"Still…" said Iruka, unsure.

"It seems that nothing we say will change your mind about allowing Naruto to go with you…" sighed the Hokage. Kurama just stood there silently.

"Very well. Next time you have to leave, you may take Naruto with you. But remember this; should anything happen to him, you'll be held responsible!" said the Hokage firmly.

"Arigato, Hokage-sama," said Kurama quietly.

* * *

As he left from the Hokage's tower, he silently mused on Iruka and his reaction to his request. It almost seemed that Iruka considered Naruto a son…

About a month later, Kurama met up with Botan again to receive some disturbing news. It seemed that they were invited to the infamous Dark Tournament as this year's guest team. It would begin in less than a month; Kurama knew that there was NO way he'd be able to leave Naruto behind, especially since he promised the boy that he'd bring him along the next time his friends needed his help! Little did he know that Kyuubi would insure Naruto's safety in the tournament…

"Nii-san! I'm home!" called out Naruto as he entered the apartment.

"Welcome home, otouto… I got some news you might want to hear," said Kurama slowly.

"What?"

"It seems my friends and I were invited to a tournament for demons and in some cases, humans to compete. We're this year's guest team, so we can't avoid it. We leave in less than a month," explained Kurama.

"When you say 'we', do you mean…?" said Naruto hopeful.

"Yup…I already have the Hokage's permission to bring you with me. I'll talk to Iruka tomorrow to get your homework for a few months."

"NANI!" said Naruto in dismayed shock.

"What? Don't tell me you thought that you'd actually get out of doing your homework!" laughed Kurama. Naruto silently grumbled for an hour before they ate dinner. (Kurama made ramen to get rid of his complaints; it worked like a charm!)

* * *

"Iruka-san…" started Kurama.

"What is it?"

"My friends and I were invited to this tournament and, since I did promise Naruto he could tag along the next time I left…"

"So what about it? Don't tell me you're not going to teach him the ninja arts!" said Iruka with a groan.

"Actually, I was wondering if I could get Naruto's ninja homework for a few months. I'm not going to let him skip out on doing his work, I can assure you of that!" laughed Kurama.

"Is that all? Sure, I guess I could give you the work that's assigned to all cadets. Just be sure to keep an eye on him; he has a tendency to try and skip out of doing it," warned Iruka, relieved.

"I'd love to see him try that with me…" grinned Kurama evilly.

"I'll hand you the assignments after class. You can take them with Naruto if you like," said Iruka.

"Thanks."

"Nii-san! Why'd you get the next three months work in advance?!" complained Naruto.

"Because I don't know how long the tournament will last; besides, you should be grateful I didn't get a years worth!"

* * *

"Yo, Kurama! Long time, no see…what the?!" exclaimed Yusuke in annoyance.

"Kurama, why'd ya bring that brat with you?" whined Kuwabara.

"HEY!" said Naruto angrily.

"Naruto, normally I don't like you repaying people for their remarks, but…"

"This time I can?" said Naruto evilly. A slight nod and Naruto whacked Kuwabara up the side of his head, _hard_.

"OWW!"

"Hello again, Naruto!" said Botan cheerfully.

"Konnichiwa, Botan-san!" replied Naruto. After they got onto the boat, the preliminaries for the tournament began. Kurama was slightly preoccupied trying to protect Naruto, who, after realizing what Kurama was doing, said quite clearly, "Nii-san, I can handle myself!"

Kurama gave in and let Naruto fight. Much to his surprise, the knuckleheaded ninja-in-training brought out an oddly familiar staff with a crescent moon on top… It was glowing fiercely; though few even noticed this fact.

As the boat came to the island, the battle was slowly but surely ending. Team Urameshi was the victor. Next up would be the first round…and the return of a certain Fox Lord!


	16. Mysterious legend of the Crescent Moon

**Mysterious legend of the Crescent Moon**

"Naruto, please tell me you didn't bring…?" started Kurama in dismay. Sure enough, the knuckled-headed ninja-in-training brought out an all-too-familiar staff. Kurama held back a groan of dismay as he then asked, "Why did you have to bring _that_ with you?!"

"What's the matter, nii-san?" asked Naruto, confused.

"That staff is cursed! The last guy who owned it had his head literally bitten off by my other half!" said Kurama.

"Why'd Yoko-san do that?"

"Who gave that to you, otouto?"

"You did…or Yoko-nii did," corrected Naruto, who still didn't understand why his brother's staff was so deadly.

"Naruto, I think you should know the story behind that staff. I don't know why my other half gave that to you, but he obviously forgot about its origins!"

"Hey isn't that the Cursed Staff of the Moon Temple? I thought it was lost over 100 years ago," commented Hiei.

"Why does everyone keep saying I'm cursed?" asked Naruto confused.

"Because that's the staff and its curse's doing. Anyone who wields that is cursed with both immense power…and a very short life span."

"How come?"

"Hiei, you know that legend better than I do…" sighed Kurama. (He knew Naruto wouldn't stop asking unless he knew the full tale of the staff.)

"I'll tell him if you carry this idiot," said Hiei, who was carrying a sleeping Yusuke.

"Fair enough…" said Kurama.

* * *

"All right kid, here's the deal…" started Hiei. He then told Naruto the full story behind the staff…and the little curse it held.

As with most legends, the tale begins with a human seeking to control a powerful energy, in this case, the moonlight. The human was a priestess by the name of Miyuki. She wanted to harness the power of the moon, and in a way it made sense, seeing as how her temple praised some long-since-dead moon deity. She wanted more power to protect her temple…but mostly it was to increase the number of moon worshipers. The deity wasn't very well known, so most didn't bother to pray for its assistance in times of trouble.

Miyuki, determined to increase her fold, used a forbidden ritual to harness the full might that is given by the moon's rays. But this came at a price…she had to sacrifice 4 other maidens for the ritual to take effect. This naturally angered the families of the girls, who sought revenge against her. Miyuki was foolish enough to attempt to use the staff against them, but there are some powers in this world that no mortal should dare tamper with…

In the end, Miyuki was killed not by the family of the four girls, but by the staff itself. By trying to use the moon's power against the families, Miyuki had angered the demons who gain their powers from the moon's light. Enraged, the demons followed the source of the magic and killed her on the spot.

The staff was then put into the care of another, more well known sun-temple, who cursed its very existence so much that there hatred stuck to the staff. Many attempted to destroy, use, even manipulate the staff…and even though they did gain power, it was a short-lived victory. The staff carried a curse, which made it impossible to use unless the person wielding it never attempted to control the full power that lay within. If someone with power equal or greater than the staff ever got their hands on it, they alone would be able to bring out its full potential; many have tried and none have succeeded.

**(Author's note: I made this entire tale up. Don't get it confused with actually legends!)**

* * *

Naruto listened to the legend, and he had only one question for the fire demon. He waited until Hiei finished before he finally asked, "Why do people always want more power?"

"Beats me kid. You humans are one race that I'll never understand," shrugged Hiei.

"I don't get adults…they claim they know everything, but they always want more of something. Why can't they be happy with what they got?" mumbled Naruto. (Hiei heard his comment and chuckled.)

"You're wiser than most adults, I'll give you that," he chuckled.

"What'd you mean?"

"Children often see things that adults don't. Their minds are still open, full of questions, and they never stop asking about the world. Adults on the other hand…" said Hiei, leaving Naruto to finish the comment.

"Adults are so close-minded that they hold a grudge against someone who never did anything or against those who never had anything against them…" finished Naruto, and Hiei saw a glint of pain in his eyes.

"I'll tell you one thing, Naruto," said Hiei.

"What?"

"I've heard the fate of everyone who came into contact with that staff, and not one of them has ever survived the curse. But…there's something about you that might work in your favor."

"What's that?"

"The only ones to get their hands on that staff were adults or power-hungry demons. I doubt that a child like you has ever had that much power and wanted to use it against others. How did you get ahold of it anyway?"

**"_Yoko left it to him the day he first became Kurama. He left it to Naruto saying it would protect him…though I don't know why,"_** answered Kyuubi.

"Yoko Kurama left it to him? I guess he trusted you not to lose it or try to access the staff's full powers…" shrugged Hiei.

"Why would I want to do that? I got plants to help me if I need it!" said Naruto, clearly confused.

"That, kid, is probably what makes you immune to the curse. The only way to bring the full weight of that down on you is to use the staff's magic."

As they entered their hotel room, Kurama took Naruto aside and made him do a week's worth of homework. (Then he sicked Naruto on Kuwabara and watched the show. Almost everyone got a laugh at that!)

-----

While Naruto was asleep, Hiei and Kurama stayed up an extra hour talking about the staff and the possible side effects for the boy.

"I don't understand why Yoko gave that cursed thing to Naruto. Surely he knew of the legend!" said Kurama.

"He knew all right. But he may not have had a bad idea when he did that. Everyone knows that young children are the _least _likely to seek power…at least until they become teenagers."

"Then a whole new kind of hell breaks loose. You don't need to remind me," chuckled Kurama.

"We don't need to worry…at least as long as Naruto doesn't try to use the staff and its magic. So long as he remembers the curse, he should be safe."

**"_He wouldn't need to access the cursed chakra. So long as I'm stuck inside the boy, he will never need to use it."_**

"Hello, Kyuubi…" said Kurama.

"What do you mean stuck inside him?"

"The village leader from Naruto's home town sealed Kyuubi no Kitsune inside of him on the day he was born. That's why the villagers fear him."

**"_Humans are such ignorant creatures. They fear us when what they should really be concerned about is themselves. They think we're the monsters, when in truth it's actually the humans who do the real damage,"_** snorted Kyuubi.

"Heh…you said it! They tell their offspring to fear the unknown instead of trying to understand it. Maybe when they quit trying to become all-powerful and all-knowing our kind might not try to kill the lot of them," agreed Hiei.

"It's not their fault that they're ignorant fools. The only way things will ever change is if we can convince the younger generations not to fear the demon world…" sighed Kurama.

"So even you admit that they're idiots," chuckled Hiei.

"Come on…if we don't get some sleep soon we won't be ready for tomorrow…" said Kurama.

* * *

After the first round ended, Kurama went out with Naruto to train. Even though he was a bit worn out from fighting, he still trained with him. Hiei and Kyuubi sat and watched from the sidelines…then Hiei decided to join in. Though his training was a bit different. Whereas Kurama taught him hand-to-hand combat, Hiei showed the boy how to use demon magic, starting with the basics.

"All right Naruto, are you ready to learn how to summon fire?" asked Hiei.

"You bet!"

"First gather up your magic in your hand."

Kurama stepped in and whispered to Hiei, "He doesn't know what magic really is yet! To him, all of his special abilities come from chakra!"

"I really hate humans when they come up with such idiotic names…" muttered Hiei.

"Um, Hiei-san? I'm having some trouble with this…" said Naruto nervously.

"Seems the concept of magic is different from where you come from. Kurama tells me that your fellow villagers refer to it as 'chakra'."

"I can't do that either…" mumbled Naruto.

"How about we start from the very beginning. I want you to try and access your magic…er, chakra," Hiei said reluctantly.

"What he means is that he wants you to access your powers," Kurama said quickly.

"I'll try…" said Naruto. (No luck obviously.)

"Perhaps we should try meditation training first," suggested Kurama.

"Works for me. I could use the nap…" snorted Hiei.

An hour (and many whacks to Naruto's head) later…

"So were you able to see your powers?" asked Kurama.

"Not really…the only thing I kept seeing was that moon thing on the staff…" admitted Naruto.

"That's not a good sign…" said Kurama quietly.

"Hey Hiei, Kurama, Brat! It's time to eat!" yelled Yusuke.

"MY NAME ISN'T BRAT!!!!" retorted Naruto angrily.

"Let's go eat. Then we'll work on your throwing skills, okay?" suggested Kurama.

"Yay! An exercise I know I'm good at!" said Naruto in mock joy. (Kyuubi and Hiei both couldn't help laughing at his obviously-fake-enthusiasm.)

* * *

"So what am I gonna practice throwing at, nii-san?" asked Naruto.

"A moving target," said Kurama bluntly. Naruto then noticed Hiei had his sword out and was ready to start the training.

"Um…nii-san, why is…?"

"Hiei has agreed to be your target. In the (highly unlikely) event that you do actually managed to hit and injure him, I'll heal his wounds when we're done," said Kurama.

_**How the hell did he con you into this?**_

_Your guess is as good as mine!_

_**Let's hope the boy isn't as big of a screw-up as he appears. If he is, he'll only end up hitting himself with those damn things.**_

"Ready when you are, squirt," said Hiei.

Naruto began throwing his shurinkens first, and (much to Hiei and Kyuubi's surprise), Hiei actually had to defend himself from the throwing stars. Soon Hiei was doing his best to dodge Naruto's attacks, and then Kurama called a time-out.

"That's enough shurinken practice for today. Now it's time to use Kunai."

"What're…oh," said Hiei confused.

"First you'll try throwing them, then you and Hiei will actually exchange blows. The Kunai will be your blade, and (if Hiei doesn't kill me) he'll use one as well."

-----

Now Naruto was having some trouble even hitting Hiei with his kunai. Finally, it was time for close-quarters combat. (Hiei wasn't too happy to trade his sword for a small kunai!)

"How the hell am I supposed to fight using this?!" he hissed at Kurama.

"Think of it as a dagger of sorts. Or as a very, very short **(1)** kodachi."

"If I hear any snickering from those idiots hiding in the shadows I'll kill you," growled Hiei.

"All right Yusuke and Kuwabara. Either you come out or I'll have Kyuubi come and get you," said Kurama without turning.

"Sorry, but seeing the big-bad demon sword master use such a dinky blade is funny!" snickered Kuwabara. This annoyed Naruto enough that he threw a shuriken in just the right angle to come behind Kuwabara and sink into his backside.

"YEOW!!!!" yelped Kuwabara as he felt the sharp edges sink into his rear.

"Nice shot, Naruto!" said Hiei laughing at the other's misery.

"Thanks…" said Naruto embarrassed.

"You can start whenever you're ready boys," said Kurama, not bothering to heal the wound Naruto gave Kuwabara. (He did have that coming!)

**

* * *

(1) A kodachi is a blade that is similar to a katana, with the exception of being too short to be considered a short sword, and too long to be a dagger. It is most commonly worn with a katana.**


	17. From staff to sword

**From staff to sword**

As the night drew on, Naruto got better at using his kunai in close-range. Hiei was still a bit peeved that Kurama (somehow or other) talked him into being Naruto's sparring partner. Yusuke and Kuwabara were still trying not to laugh at the sight of Hiei using a small kunai as opposed to his sword. They didn't stop going at each other's throats until Naruto admitted defeat.

"I must admit, I wasn't expecting you to be able to block my attacks…especially with such a ridiculous blade," said Hiei, a little out-of-breath.

"Thanks…I still…can't believe…I lasted…this long…" said Naruto between gasps.

"Time for bed, Naruto. You two can beat the hell out of each other tomorrow," chuckled Kurama. He picked up the exhausted Naruto and carried him to bed. Hiei waited until Kurama covered him up before he snuck behind him and gave him a piece of his mind.

-----

"Ow! Don't tell me you're still mad that I had you fight with the kunai!" said Kurama as he rubbed the spot where Hiei's fist made contact.

"I wasn't expecting his close-quarters to be as good as it was, but if you ever…!" snarled Hiei, still pissed.

"Then why don't you get him a sword to practice with?!" retorted Kurama.

"Like there're any metal-shops on this island. Where am I supposed to…? What the…?!" said Hiei suddenly.

"What… Is it me or is the moon staff glowing?" said Kurama, equally confused.

As they watched in shock, the cursed staff slowly shrank into a ninjato (ninja sword). The blade was dull, but the staff was still a sword. Kurama approached the (formerly-cursed-staff-turned-sword) and picked it up carefully. It was perfect for a beginner at swordsmanship. Hiei was impressed.

"Seems the staff overheard us and decided to change form…" he joked.

"Well at least now you have something to train him with," replied Kurama. (He suspected that as Naruto grew better, the sword would grow sharper.)

* * *

The next morning…

"Rise and shine otouto! Hiei's waiting for you downstairs…" said Kurama. (Naruto is like the author—NOT A MORNING PERSON.)

"All right, all right I'm up!" yawned Naruto, half-awake.

"If you hurry I might let you have ramen for breakfast…" hinted Kurama. (This woke him up pretty quick!)

Naruto got dressed and hurried back to Kurama, who couldn't stop chuckling. Naruto had a certain look in his eyes that only showed when he knew he was going to eat ramen.

"All right, all right… I'll get the ramen made. You'll have to meet up with Hiei downstairs; he said he would train you again today without me," said Kurama.

"Aw man…not again! I can't use magic or chakra!" whined Naruto.

"He's not going to teach you that. He said that after your little display of moves last night, he's willing to teach you how to fight with a sword."

"Really?" said Naruto, hopeful.

"Yup. He even has a sword ready for you. Remember that staff with the curse? Well somehow it turned into a practice sword last night," explained Kurama.

"How'd that happen?" asked Naruto, curious.

"Ask Hiei…he seems to remember hearing something like this happening before," shrugged Kurama.

Naruto quickly finished his ramen and ran downstairs to meet up with Hiei. The fire demon chuckled…he had gotten up only 15 minutes ago himself! Naruto went up to him, ready and waiting to begin training.

* * *

"Are you ready to learn how to use a sword, squirt?" said Hiei, amused.

"You bet! I'm ready…so long as it doesn't involve any magic…" mumbled Naruto. Hiei led the way outside, to a small area where they wouldn't be bothered. He tossed the boy a sword with a strange hilt engraving. It almost looked like a crescent moon…

"Hey, Hiei-san, where'd this sword come from anyway?" asked Naruto.

"It seems that I may have forgotten a little of the staff's history. I completely forgot about an instance when the staff became what we called the Lunara Sword. It only happened once, but we still call it the Lunara sword when it turns into a blade," said Hiei.

"Wow…so why'd it change form?"

"It must have overheard the conversation Kurama and I had last night about me training you to fight with a sword. There is something that I found amusing and peculiar about the staff, however."

"What?"

"It's half of a twin set. Remember that sun temple that it was given to after the priestess was killed?"

"I think so…"

"In an effort to destroy the staff the idiots were foolish enough to create one that was practically identical to the moon staff, with one major difference."

"It was sun-based," said Naruto, who could put the obvious together himself.

"Yup…and guessed what happened after they did that."

"They all died?"

"Exactly…just as Miyuki angered the demons who use moonlight, they angered their brethren who gain their power from the solar rays. As a result, the temple was destroyed…but…"

"The staffs weren't."

"You catch on quick. Those two staffs have been coexisting for years…usually when someone gains control of either of them; they try to get the other as well. I think it's some sort of yin/yang or something."

"Figures…so what happened to the sun staff?"

"Same thing that happened to yours. It went missing over 100 years ago and hasn't been seen since. Though I do have a sneaking suspicion as to where it is…" said Hiei.

"Nii-san's den?"

"That'd be my guess. Now let's get back to training…"

"You said there was something weird about the staff becoming a sword. What was it?" asked Naruto.

"Oh it's nothing. It just that the last time that staff changed form it had some weird effect that had something to do with the time of day. I can't remember what it was though," said Hiei before he began to show Naruto the basics.

-----

An hour later, Hiei started to remember what the effect of the staff was. Mainly due to the fact that Naruto was somehow or other getting a _lot _of lucky hits on Hiei. Right as the sun began to set; Hiei realized that the blade had become a LOT sharper! That was when he finally remembered the staff's strange behavior depending on time of day.

"Guess what Naruto…" started Hiei as they took a quick break.

"What, Hiei-san?"

"I finally remembered what was so odd about the Lunara blade."

"What?"

"The weird thing I told you about… You're going to love this… During the day, the Lunara sword becomes stronger, but the blade itself looses its sharp edge. But during the night, it becomes sharp enough to cut through the air itself, with only one setback," said Hiei.

"The blade becomes weaker?"

"Pretty much. The same problem applied to the Solara Sword. Only with that sword it was the opposite. Sharp during the day and stronger blade at night. There was only _one _way to get around that particular issue."

"Combine the sun and moon staffs?" said Naruto.

"Well, yeah. Except they'd have to be in sword form for that to even work."

"So why didn't they stay together?"

"Apparently when the guy who first used them as swords died, they reverted back to their original form and didn't work until they returned the crests off both back to their intended staff."

"…"

"We have tried for years to figure out how he managed to get them to change form, but we never did. There was even a bit of a contest between humans and demons to see if someone could get them to change. Guess what the prize was."

"They got to keep both staffs?"

"Yup. But since no one could pull it off, the staffs were separated and eventually they were stolen; first the moon one, then the sun about 100 years later. Though the time difference between our worlds are very different."

"How different?"

"Time passes roughly around 10x faster in our world. So a 100 years our time would be…"

"Ten years around here."

"Exactly. Ready to get back to training?" asked Hiei.

"Let's see…do I want to train (and get my ass kicked thoroughly) or do I want to go back to the room and do _more _homework? Decisions, decisions," said Naruto with mock-seriousness. (Hiei laughed. He knew sarcasm better than anyone.)

"Remember the stance I showed you earlier. You've almost got it right," said Hiei.

Naruto stood posed; his arms bent with the sword pointing down behind his back and his knees spread across the grass.

"Is this right?" asked Naruto.

"You're close. Your knees are just a bit too far apart. Bring a little bit closer together…that's it. Now you got it. Remember what I told you before…when you launch a strike from that position you should shift your weight so that your sword carries that to your opponent. That usually knocks them off balance, if only for a split-second. Try to do that with me…" said Hiei, as he patiently waited for Naruto to attempt a strike. (Normally patience wasn't his strong suit, but there was something about the knuckleheaded ninja-in-training that gave him a little more than usual.)

Naruto moved his weight in a way he thought would place it all onto his opponent; Hiei instinctively blocked and only felt half the force.

"Try again…you can do better. I only felt half your weight behind that attack," said Hiei, slightly annoyed. Naruto returned to the stance and prepared to try again…and again, and again. Finally, Hiei had had enough.

"That's enough for today runt," said Hiei, slightly irritable.

"I'm sorry, Hiei-san…" mumbled Naruto upset.

"Well, at least you got the stance down. Come on, that blasted fox thief is probably looking for you…" said Hiei. By the time they finally returned to the hotel, Kurama was a bit peeved. (He wanted Naruto to do a week worth of homework until they went back…)

* * *

"Give the kid a break Kurama!" snorted Hiei.

"Well if he doesn't do that blasted homework then I'll never hear the end of it from Iruka!" retorted Kurama.

"Couldn't I train for two days and do homework in between?" asked Naruto a bit upset.

"That isn't a half-bad idea…" said Hiei.

"In that case, you'll be doing a schedule of two days training and one day for work. We'll start the latter tomorrow…and I better not hear any complaining, because you're the one who came up with the idea," said Kurama sternly.

"I don't get why you're so stuck on making him do homework. This is probably the kid's first time leaving his village and traveling with you and all you want is for him to do work! That's kinda cruel…" said Yusuke.

(Kyuubi decided to amuse himself by having an arrow pointing at Naruto saying… "Has the worst grades in his entire class due to his tendency to skip lessons and not do any of his assigned work.")

Naruto looked up to see what everyone was staring at only to see nothing but air. Kyuubi chuckles at his confusion…and muses over whether he should add the bit about Naruto being considered a true village idiot because he played pranks on the adults. When Kurama was about to tell Naruto about Kyuubi's little joke, he saw another arrow saying… "Everyone sees Naruto as the true village idiot because all he does is play pranks on people…mainly adults."

"Kyuubi-sama, that wasn't exactly appropriate…" scolded Kurama.

"What're you talking about nii-san?" asked Naruto, very confused.

"Kyuubi was amusing himself…you don't want to know…" said Kurama with a quiet laugh.

"What's he talking about?" asked Naruto. (Yusuke felt it was up to him to say the truth.)

"He had some weird arrows pointing at you with…" started Yusuke.

"He was basically explaining why I'm always on you about doing your homework."

"He was making fun of me, wasn't he…?"

"Pretty much."

"I thought you were on my side Kyuubi-san!" whined Naruto.

**"_I am on your side, runt. It's just that…well I'm bored!"_** said Kyuubi bluntly.

"I got an idea…why don't ya spar with us, dumb fox?" asked Kuwabara.

"Hey nimrod…didn't you learn the last time you called him that?" chuckled Naruto evilly.

**"_You are soooo dead. I hope you don't have another round tomorrow, Kurama."_**

"Actually, we do. You can kill them after the next round," joked Kurama.

**"_Can I at least…?"_**

_Yes, you CAN bite them very, very hard on the ass. Maybe then they'll think twice before calling you a dumb fox._

_**You mean those to imbeciles actually HAVE a brain?**_

_Touché…Hehehe._

* * *

_**(What do you get when you combine Konoha's number-one-knuckleheaded-hyper-active ninja and a bottle that's full of a concoction loaded with caffeine, sugar and carbonated soft drink? The next chapter of course!)**_


	18. Beware of HYPER NINJAS

**Beware of _HYPER NINJAS_**

"I just remembered something… you haven't had dinner yet, have you Naruto?" said Kurama suddenly. (Uh-oh…Kurama's got something up his sleeve!)

"Nope…been too busy listening to these guys bickering. What're we having anyway?"

"Let's see… How does ramen sound?"

"Yay!" said Naruto happily. (Kyuubi and Hiei have already figured out Kurama has a plan up his sleeve!)

After Kurama fixed Naruto some dinner, he brought out a bottle (opened) without a label and gave it to Naruto as something to drink. He shot Hiei and Kyuubi a look saying 'I need to tell you something!'

* * *

"What did you do?" asked Hiei suspiciously. Kurama smirked.

"Have you ever seen what happens when you give a kid like Naruto sugar and caffeine in _high doses_?"

"Oh no…you didn't!" said Hiei, who was trying not to laugh.

**"_Oh shit…a hyper active ninja-in-training with a full arsenal of shurinkens, kunai, and an ancient staff that turns into a sword? That…is…pure…evil! I LOVE IT!!!!"_** laughed Kyuubi.

"Thanks…I got the idea from watching little kids mix different brands of soda into what they call a 'swamp mix'. So I had some time to kill… (not to mention I was EXTREMELY bored at the time)… I sorta…mixed together the most caffeinated, sugar-loaded, and (after I gave it to another ninja-in-training who actually LOVED it)… I made a full batch just in case for Naruto. I didn't bother to label it; that would only tip off the idiots."

"You know, I _almost _feel sorry for them. Almost but no where near close enough!" Hiei said laughing.

**"_You haven't lost your touch, King of Thieves!"_** said Kyuubi, close to howling with laughter.

"How long do you think it'll take the soda to take affect?" asked Kurama.

**"_Feh…well, since you gave him ramen to eat, I'd say…about forty seconds, give or take. Just enough for us to watch the show outside the window,"_** Kyuubi said, shrugging.

"Mind if we watch on one of your tails? Your tails are usually the tallest out of the fox lords," said Hiei.

**"**_**Why not? The question is, can I keep them up long enough in this restricted form? If not, then I'll be watching the show from the runt's POV!"** _

"Fair enough. It's not like we can't levitate ourselves," shrugged Hiei.

They snuck through the room next door and waited for Kyuubi's orange tail to reach their window. They sat on his tail, while the fox lord himself watched through his old eyes. He knew this would be _good._ In less than 30 seconds after they went outside to watch the action, Naruto started acting strangely. To Hiei surprise, (but not Kurama or Kyuubi who knew the blond well), Naruto waited until he finished his ramen before he literally started bouncing off the walls.

-----

"What the…?!" yelped Yusuke and Kuwabara. (It took them five minutes to realize that the three demons were outside laughing their heads off!) Now they were slightly pissed.

"Kyuubi, what the hell did you do to the brat?!" yelled Kuwabara.

**"_He's not a brat, moron. Hell, I'm sure the runt's rival would agree that he has more brains than you!"_** snorted Kyuubi.

"And besides, this little stunt wasn't even his idea… Though even he had to admit it was very ingenious," said Hiei.

"Then who…? KURAMA! You've got some explaining to do!"

"And I will, right after…" started Kurama as he used the link between Kyuubi and Naruto to say, _Naruto, knock yourself out and go nuts on the idiots. _

_-----_

_Nii-san, what's happening to me? Why do I feel so funny?_

_I'm sorry, but it was an amusing solution for all of us to use you to shut those two idiots up._

_What did you do to me Big Brother?!_

_I just made you into the village's most hyper-active ninja-in-training. Don't worry, the effects should wear off by morning. And if it makes you feel any better, I'll let you eat ramen for the ENTIRE day._

_I don't think I can eat any more of your ramen, nii-san. It tasted weird._

_That…wasn't the ramen, actually. That was the drink I gave you. Sorry, but I thought you'd enjoy kicking their ass and bouncing off the walls…literally._

_So…what was in that thing anyway?!  
Beats me. All I know is that the stuff isn't healthy, and it's carbonated. (Hence the fizzy feeling on your tongue when you drank it.) Have fun, little brother!_

_**And please, spare no expense to cause the idiots pain. The more you inflict, the easier it will be to remember the right hand signs to all the cool jutsu I know.**_

_Really?_

_**Yup…and all you have to do is teach THEM not to call me a dumb fox anymore.**_

_You got it, Kyuubi-san!_

By the time the 'elixir' Kurama gave him wore off, both Yusuke and Kuwabara looked like they had just barely won the next round! Before Naruto fell sound asleep, Kurama made him drink yet another concoction. This one had a less hazardous effect…it would help tame Naruto's upset stomach before it had a chance to make itself known. (Naruto would be feeling this one in the morning!)

* * *

"OWWW…my head feels like its about to split in two…" groaned Naruto.

**"_Morning kit. Or should I say, afternoon?"_** chuckled Kyuubi. He lazily opened an eye on the ninja boy.

"Kyuubi-san? How did I end up asleep next to you? (Not that I'm complaining, mind you.)" Naruto asked as he slowly sat up. His head was swirling, and he wasn't about to attempt sorting his thoughts out at that time.

**"_Be grateful Kurama gave you that other potion to keep your stomach from hurting, or you'd have woken up a HELL of a lot sooner! If you start to feel dizzy or nauseous, let me know right away. I'll make sure you get to the bathroom pronto,"_ **said Kyuubi.

"Even though this is technically all nii-san's fault…I still don't hold it against him. That was the first time I've actually bounced off walls and gotten away with it," said Naruto in a pained laugh.

**"_You should lie down for another hour. At least until your stomach fully settles enough to eat something."_**

"Think nii-san will let me get away without doing any homework tonight?" asked Naruto, with hopeful optimism.

**"_Probably…the last thing you really need right now is to be cooped up in a room doing homework when you should really be working off the after-effects of that soda."_**

"Yeah…really…" mumbled Naruto. (Still hadn't fully woken up.)

"_The sooner you feel better, the sooner you get to eat ramen,"_ Kyuubi reminded him.

"I forgot… Ow…" said Naruto as he tried to get up. Then Kyuubi decided to take pity on the boy. He put the hot water into the ramen cup and waited until the noodles were ready; he carried it to Naruto, who slurped the noodles up gratefully. When Naruto finished the ramen, Kyuubi threw away the cup and let Naruto fall asleep against him with the sun shining on him.

* * *

As it turned out, they had not one fight, but _two_ that day. And everyone came out of it looking worse for wear. Kurama still had the plant stuck in his arm, so he wasn't exactly in the mood to make Naruto do any homework; though the blond _did _help get the plant out. Hiei waited outside for Naruto, who had _somehow or other _managed to lose track of the staff…er, sword.

"Ready, Naruto?"

"As ready as I'm gonna get with my stomach the way it is," mumbled Naruto.

Hiei started off with a basic slash…then he went to showing Naruto another stance to try. It took the blond three tries to get it right, but after he finished that, it was on to the next challenge…technique. This turned out to be harder than the others.

(After having to deal with TWO fights instead of one, he wasn't very patient.)

-----

"You need to work on this more. You've got a lot to learn before I get to the best ones," said Hiei, irritably.

"I'm sorry, Hiei-san. And I doubt it's my stomach that's the problem. I've always had trouble learning new things…I don't know why, I just do," sighed Naruto, sadly.

"I'm not angry at you… (well, not very angry yet)… but after the stunt those idiots in charge of the tournament pulled, I'm not liable to be very patient today."

"What does liable mean?"

"It means 'responsible for something'. You know, like how they put warnings on medicine bottles so people can't blame their problems on the medicine?"

"I don't think so. So basically it's another way of saying, 'your problem, NOT mine'?"

"Exactly!" said Hiei, relieved Naruto actually got what he said.

"Huh…" said Naruto, surprised.

_-----_

_**You can thank me later for that, Hiei.**_

_What?_

_**The boy wouldn't have understood that if I hadn't unlocked a bit of his ACTUAL intellect. He's not dumb; he just has problems accessing the correct brain signals.**_

_Can you make it easier for him to get the techniques right?_

_**I'm a demon lord, not a miracle worker! Though I'll see what I can do. In the meantime, work with him!**_

_After what happened earlier today, that may be a problem…_

-----

"All right Naruto, it's time to get back to technique. We'll start at the beginning and we won't go any further until you get it right. Is that clear?!" said Hiei.

"Hai, Hiei-san!" said Naruto quickly, not wanting to annoy the fire demon any more than he already was.

It took him two more times to finally get the first (and one of the easiest) done right. Then it was time for the next, and the next, and the next. Naruto got six techniques right; it seemed whatever Kyuubi did worked.

"Wow! I can't believe I got six techniques done in one day! That's really unusually, especially for me!" said Naruto, amazed.

"Well, it just means we'll move onto the harder ones sooner."

* * *

When they entered the room, they were greeted with the sight of a frayed Kurama with a nasty headache.

"I…don't recommend…going in…there," said Kurama in pain.

"What the hell happened to you? I mean besides the fact that you had a demonic plant that could kill you stuck in your arm for over an hour…" Hiei asked, surprised.

"You really want to know?"

"Nii-san, are you gonna be alright?" asked Naruto, concerned.

"I'll be fine once I find some aspirin… and something to shoot those two with," replied Kurama annoyed.

"Why don't you just send in Naruto with another bottle of that soda you gave him last night?"

"For three reasons; (1) that was why they were on my ass as soon as you left, (2) I left the rest in my den inside the demon plain for safekeeping and the main reason… (3), I didn't want to put Naruto through the after effects twice in two days."

"Thanks nii-san…" mumbled Naruto.

"Well, if you aren't going to teach them a lesson, then maybe we should show them the reason why they should respect Kyuubi no Kitsune…" suggested Hiei.

"Works for me," said Kurama with a shrug. (He left to find some aspirin.)

-----

"And me! So, what'll I have to do?" asked Naruto.

"Remember how we let you bounce off the walls last night and didn't get on your case for doing it?"

"Yeah…"

"Well, you can do that again, only _without_ the soda Kurama gave you. Do your best to make them think he gave you another one."

"Yay! I get to bounce off ways and act crazy again!" said Naruto happily.

-----

_**And how the hell were you two planning on getting me out of the runt?! The seal was created through a willing, live sacrifice to the Death Gods! Do you have ANY idea how hard it is to break those, even for me?**_

_Who said you had to manifest yourself fully? You could do a partial and completely kick their ass with a small portion of your true power._

_**True…but it takes a lot out of me just to come out like I have with only two tails. I lose even more if I increase the number…and coming out with just one tail makes me look too much like a regular fox for the others to take me seriously.**_

_Go with three then. Just make sure they learn the hard way not to disrespect the nine-tailed demon lord!_

_**If this goes badly I WILL place the blame on you.**_

_Fair enough._

-----

An hour later, after Kurama found the aspirin, he returned to find the room a complete disaster area! He saw a certain fox-like-grin from Naruto, who couldn't look more pleased with his work if he tried. Kyuubi looked smug as well; especially since he was sitting right on top two certain humans with big mouths…

"I take it Naruto went hyper on them and Kyuubi-sama went postal?" said Kurama, amused since the aspirin finally took affect.

"What was your first clue," asked Hiei, laughing.

"The room a complete and utter mess. And Naruto with a huge grin on his face, like he played another prank on the adults."

"Which reminds me…Yusuke, Koenma was looking for you. He said something about a 'spirit beast'?"

"Aw hell! Tell this damn fox to get off of me!" Yusuke practically roared these words.

**"**_**Saying that only makes me want to take a nap with you on the business end of my tails,"** _retorted Kyuubi. (You can almost hear his veiled threat!)

-----

**You're not getting off them until they apologize and call you by your formal title, are you…**

_**Yup. What was your first clue?**_

**The smirk on Naruto's face when Yusuke practically roared at you.**

_**You better tell them then…**_

-----

"Yusuke, Lord Kyuubi said he ain't getting off of you until you apologize using his formal title," Kurama said with a (thinly veiled) laugh.

"HE WHAT?!"

"He said you aren't getting up until you apologize to him with his formal title," Hiei repeated.

"What is his formal title?" growled Yusuke reluctantly.

"Lord of the forests, Kyuubi no Kitsune-domo."

_**Tell him that I'll let him skip the first half.**_

"He said you can skip the first part…" said Naruto.

"Fine… (I can't believe I'm doing this…) I'm sorry Kyuubi no Kitsune-domo."

**"_Apology accepted. Oh, and here's a little advice if you don't want to get bit in the ass by one of my kits. Don't try to call me a dumb or stupid fox behind my back, because my ears are far sharper than yours will ever hope to be,"_** said Kyuubi coldly as he got up. Yusuke went to find Koenma, and he found out his spirit egg was close to hatching.


	19. Naruto's magic awakens!

**Naruto's magic awakens!**

After Yusuke returned with his spirit beast, Naruto was literally _howling _with laughter. The beast on Yusuke's head looked like a misshapen-purple-penguin who could only say 'Puu!' (Everyone except Yusuke got a real kick out of that!)

_**Do you somehow get the feeling that Yusuke wishes he HADN'T gotten out from under me?**_

Gee, I wonder why?

"Damn egg! I should never have apologized to that stupid fox!" griped Yusuke. (Result of using the words 'Stupid' and 'fox' in same sentence: four-tailed kit appears out of nowhere and bite him on rear HARD.)

"OW!"

"He did warn you not to refer to him as a stupid fox, didn't he, Yusuke?" chuckled Kurama. (That was when the spirit beast on Yusuke's head went "Puu!" again, causing everyone to howl in laughter.)

**"_That is too damn funny! The loudmouth gets a penguin for a spirit beast that can only say 'Puu' all the time! What're the odds?"_** laughed Kyuubi.

"Karma had to come back to haunt him sometime…I just never expected it to do something like this!" laughed Botan.

Something about Kyuubi laughing unlocked a long-since buried power within the host.

Naruto felt something click into place, but he was laughing to hard to actually wonder what it was. It wasn't until morning, when everyone had recovered from seeing Puu (as they called the spirit beast), that Kurama and Kyuubi finally realized something was different with the boy. But they already had plans, so they decided to investigate later.

_What's this strange feeling? I've never felt like this before…_Naruto thought as he got up. He shook his head to wake up, and then went in search of Hiei or Kurama. He finds them both watching the fight betweens the team's next opponent. He stands next to Kurama, hoping his brother wouldn't mind. He didn't think that Hiei _would _notice him if Kurama didn't.

* * *

"Heh…looks like we have a curious kit in our midst…" chuckled Hiei. (Kurama looks a bit confused by the comment until he sees Naruto beside him!) 

"So it appears… Couldn't wait for breakfast, eh, Otouto?" grinned Kurama.

"Nah…I just felt weird and thought I'd see where everyone ran off to."

"What do you mean by weird?" asked Kurama, surprised.

"I mean I've been feeling this strange sensation since I got up…"

"Why don't you tell me about it? Maybe I can help," said Kurama.

"It's hard to describe…other than it sorta feels like my chakra when I'm performing a jutsu…except it feels a LOT different…" said Naruto, unsure of how to put it in words.

"We'll see what it is later, okay?" said Kurama, turning back to the fight…only to find out it's already over.

"That was fast…" commented Naruto. As they went back to the hotel, Kurama and Naruto stray away from the group.

"Alright Naruto, let's have a look at you…" said Kurama, trying to find out why Naruto felt different.

It took him over five minutes to suspect the problem. There was only one way to test his theory.

"Naruto, remember when Hiei was trying to teach you demon magic?"

"Yeah…"

"Do you remember what he told you to try first?"

"Gather up my magic in my hand?"

"Yup."

"Wait…you want me to do that again?! But I…!"

"Humor me for a minute, okay?" said Kurama.

"Okay nii-san…" grumbled Naruto. He concentrated on gathering his magic in his hand…unlike his first attempt however, this time he actually was able to gather a spinning ball of what appeared to be orange-red energy.

"Wha…! Nii-san, what's going on?!" said Naruto in shock.

"I thought so. It appears that your magic must have just awoken…though why I can't imagine…"

"Hang on a sec…I remember feeling funny earlier before bed last night…when we were all laughing at Yusuke and that ridiculous penguin thing of his!"

"Huh…looks like all that laughing must have brought it out."

"I wonder why?"

"I doubt the nine-tailed lord has ever laughed that hard…maybe it caused something in you to become in sync with your magic. Who knows?"

"Why would Kyuubi-san's laughing cause my magic to finally come out?"

"Let's leave that topic alone for now. We should get back…they're probably worried…or annoyed."

"I'm guessing it's the ladder…" said Naruto.

"I think you mean 'latter', not ladder…" said Kurama laughing.

"…"

* * *

"OY! Kurama, brat, where the hell are you…?!" yelled Yusuke. 

"Sheesh…you have a louder mouth than I do! Wait, that didn't come out right…!" said Naruto quickly. (Kurama did his best not to laugh.)

"Whatever… Come on, the girls want us to play cards with them," said Yusuke.

"I don't know how to play…" said Naruto.

"Don't worry, I'll help you… though it depends on the game."

* * *

"All right Kurama, what is it now? Did Naruto forget the techniques or…?" started Hiei, annoyed. 

"No…I think his natural demon magic finally woke up."

"What makes you assume that?"

"I had him repeat the first exercise you gave him. The one where he gathers his magic in his hand…"

"And? Get on with it!"

"He produced a ball of swirling energy…a red-orange one at that," finished Kurama.

"So basically the reason he was feeling strange earlier was…?"

"Yes… his magic making itself known. We have better find a way to keep it under control or the other demons will come after him."

"We'll find a way…in the morning. Right now the only thing I want to do is sleep," said Hiei.

**"_I know a good way to keep the kit's newly awakened magic under control."_**

"How is that, Kyuubi-sama?" asked Kurama.

**"_By teaching him the art of the Kitsune clan. I'll have him work on transforming while he's asleep tonight. That will exhaust the energy enough to give you two time to work with him."_**

"Agreed. See you in the morning, Kyuubi-sama."

-----

_Kyuubi-san? Why're you in my dreams?_

_**You need to learn how to keep your new magic under control…unless you want the other demons to come after you.**_

_Ack! No way! So how do I…?_

_**By training with me. Guess what your first lesson is going to be on…**_

_Please don't tell me we're doing clones…_

_**That's human magic, NOT fox. No, we're going to work on one of your personal favorites…**_

_You mean the one I created?  
__**Hell no…though even I have to admit it IS funny to see the look on the Hokage's face when you use the Sexy jutsu on him.**_

_Then what…?_

_**Transformation.**_

_Wait…foxes can transform like humans?_

_**You didn't really think that humans could come up with transforming into another creature on their own, did you?**_

_So…we got the idea from foxes?_

_**Well…it was more like quite a few demons, but yes, the human ninjas got their transformation jutsu from demons. Though ours is a lot more convincing that yours.**_

_Is that because your version is the original?_

_**Something like that. Where your copy can be discovered, ours can't. In other words, the Byakugan of the Hyuga clan and the Sharingan of the Uchiha wouldn't be able to see through, or in the case of Sasuke, copy it. Nor would anyone be able to dispel the illusion.**_

_Why not? If it's an illusion then someone can still eventually see through it._

_**The only way ANYONE could see through ours is if we screwed up and allow them to find out. Our transformation spell is a lot stronger and more effective. You wouldn't turn back into yourself even if you were injured while transformed.**_

_Basically I wouldn't change back until I wanted to._

_**Precisely. Though we haven't tested the 'dead' tactic while using it.**_

_So when do we start, Kyuubi-san?_

_**Right now. I want you to concentrate on someone or something…you can choose whatever you want except…**_

_The Fourth Hokage?_

_**So you do have some common sense.**_

_You're still mad at him for sealing you away somewhere, right? So why would I risk angering you by turning into him?_

_**It seems that when I unlocked a portion of your actual intelligence I also brought out a bit of your common sense as well.**_

_Huh?_

_**Nothing. Now concentrate on someone or something to turn into, and we'll start from there.**_

Naruto had quite a few things he could think of off-hand. But he chose the one he liked the most. He turned into…_Kyuubi?!_

_

* * *

_

**Hai, Kyuubi-san… Woah…what's with my voice?!**

_**I forgot to mention the side-effect of the transformation. It turns you into the thing you want, inside…and OUT. **_

**In other words, since I chose to transform into you, I also got your voice?**

_**Exactly. You get almost everything of the object you turn into…except for emotions and memories.**_

**Why not those?**

_**Well there have been a few times when that happened, but it was only because the idiots stayed in the other form too long. I think the minimum amount of time for that to happen is around…10, maybe 20 years your time?**_

**Okay…but how do I turn back?**

_**I'll tell you before you wake up. But first you need to get used to that form. If you can't get used to being in another form, then the spell won't work and you'll be exposed.**_

**How do I do that?**

_**The first step is walking around.**_

**Okay…** said Naruto/Kyuubi as he started wandering around, albeit very wobbly.

_**When you get used to that, then we'll work on picking things up and throwing them, much like you would a shuriken.**_

**Got it.**

It took Naruto around five minutes to get used to moving around as Kyuubi. Then he sat down next to the fox.

_**Nicely done…you didn't cause an earthquake when you sat down. Now I'll show you how to throw things using the tails.**_

**Do we get to chose…?**

_**Yes, you can choose the object you'll throw.**_

**Yay! I can't wait to hurl the people who always try to hit me or worse from the village around!**

_**And here I thought you were going to chuck Sasuke at the targets. Though that works better…it causes anger, which leads to better aim.**_

**So how do I pick stuff up?**

_**First I'll bring out the targets. See those holes with the signs that have different numbers on them? The goal is to throw the 'villagers' into each hole at least once. If you do a hole more than once you earn the number of points listed on the sign. First one to make 400 wins. Now as for picking things up. You know how you pick things up using your hand?**_

**Yeah…I tell my brain and it picks something up.**

_**Same concept using the tails. Tell your brain to move one tail to pick the 'villagers' up, and then use a DIFFERENT tail to throw. It makes it a lot easier to pick up on throwing. You can go first. I'll wait until you get the hang of it before the game begins.**_

**'Kay!**

It took him a while to get used to it, but in the end Naruto was using not one or two of the tails to throw, but three! Three to pick up and three to throw. That impressed Kyuubi immensely.

_**Ready to begin the game?**_

**Yup!**

Naruto went first as he took a 'villager' and threw 'him' into the hole with the 100 point sign…and missed. He did manage to land the 'villager' in the 50 hole, so it wasn't a total loss. In the end Kyuubi beat Naruto, 550-350. (He had landed two of his targets in the 200 point hole.)

Naruto woke up, feeling better than ever! His magic was still present, though it was low enough for his sub-conscious mind to suppress without difficulty. As he got up, he noticed that Kyuubi was no where to be found. He shrugged and headed to the dining room, where (Hiei?!) was cooking breakfast. He sat down, and noted that Puu and Yusuke were nowhere to be found either. He ate his morning meal and followed Hiei to the new arena, never realizing that something was following him…

**

* * *

**


	20. The curse of the fox lord

**The curse of the fox lord**

Kyuubi sensed the thing following them, and was filled with surprise. He knew _IT _would have found Naruto eventually, but he never thought it would appear NOW of all times! He remembered an old phrase about becoming enraged and dying.

_When someone dies in the grip of a powerful rage, a CURSE is born._

_The curse gathers in that place of DEATH._

_Those who encounter in will be consumed by its FURY._

Even though Kyuubi's soul was placed inside Naruto, when his body died, he was very angry at the villagers. He vaguely remembered cursing them for his mate's death…he always assumed that because Naruto was his chosen container, he would be immune to the effects of a demonic curse. But now…he was beginning to wonder if that was true.

**

* * *

**

_What is it, Kyuubi-san?_

**If it's what I think it is, you DON'T want to know…**

_Should I tell nii-san and the others?_

**No…I think it's only trailing you.**

_Why just me?_

**Because you're a Container.**

_A Container…? What's a Container?_

**A Container…a human who is forced to bear a demonic spirit. Be grateful that you 'spirit' is friendly towards you, or the thing following us would be deadly.**

_Who is this spirit anyway? Why can't I ever see him?_

**You can see him…it's just you've never known he was there until Kurama put you in sync with him.**

_It's a boy spirit? What's his name?_

**He's a kitsune. And if I told you his name, you'd get in big trouble back in the village. There's an unofficial decree that's been in effect since before you were born that you should have NO knowledge about him being in you.**

_Why wasn't I allowed to know about him?_

**Because the last Hokage died fighting him, and he never wanted you to know the truth.**

_So does everyone in the village know about him?  
_**Only those who survived my attack on the village.**

_Kyuubi…are you the spirit inside me?_

**Crap…I should have known that unlocking your intellect would be a bad idea! The fact that you could put all the clues together and realize the answer so quickly…**

_So you ARE the spirit locked inside me. But why didn't you tell me earlier?_

**It was better for you to figure it out yourself.**

_Kyuubi-san…I think I can see the thing following me. I'm…I'm scared…_

**Kit, that THING feeds off of fear and anger. When it catches up to us, it most likely will unlock my true personality.**

_Kyuubi-san, what do I do?!_

**When my original personality comes out, show proper respect and no fear. I wasn't always this nice towards mortals…I often fed on their fear of the unknown and used it to my advantage. If it helps, try turning into a small fox kit before you face me. Remember, you are my student now, so you will have nothing to fear from me. I tend to be a little less violent towards my own kind.**

_Should I turn into one now?_

**I'll come out and tell Kurama what's going on. I want you to get on my back and wait until we're in a clearing or someplace before you turn into a kit. Do NOT get off my back until we get there, understood?**

_Hai!_

* * *

**"_Kurama, we have a slight problem."_**

**"What is it, Kyuubi-sama?"**

Kyuubi quickly whispered in fox-tongue about what was following them, and Kurama's eyes widened a bit at the truth. He nodded, and secretly pointed the way towards a secluded spot to confront the thing. The fox and boy rushed there, and Naruto immediately turned into a kit before climbing off Kyuubi's back.

_

* * *

_

**_Who are you little kit?!  
_My name is Naru, Kyuubi-dono.**

_**How did you slip past my guards? My kits were told NOT to let anyone in without alerting me first.**_

**I know not how I got here. One moment I was with a good friend, and the next, darkness engulfed us and I landed in here.**

_**Are you mortal or kitsune? Your aura is very confusing.**_

**I was born mortal, but I'm being taught in the ways of the kitsune clan. It's easier for me to speak to another Fox demon when I'm in my kitsune form…**

_**So you are a human. How old are you?**_

**I am nearly 10, Kyuubi-dono.**

_**That explains it then. You are too young to truly fear me. Why were you brought here?**_

**It is said in my home, that when a person dies in extreme sorrow or anger, that the emotion remains and becomes a stain upon the place. I think someone's rage has followed me and brought me here…though I do not know its purpose.**

_**So you believe in spirits?**_

**Hai…**

_**Good. Here's a little advice, kit. It seems you're cursed with a demon's rage and sorrow. Whatever you do, DON'T try to exorcise the curse. You'll only make it angrier and more painful to bear.**_

**How do I get rid of it?**

_**By finding out the reason for its creation. Find out what happened to cause the curse to be made, and it will leave you for good. **_

**Wait…you're saying I have to take revenge on whoever wronged the demon? Revenge is never an answer!**

_**It is if you want to get rid of it. You can either give the demon its revenge…or you can use up the energy created through that emotion.**_

**How do I use up the energy?**

_**By using up the chakra during times of extreme sorrow and hatred. But remember to keep some left over for the revenge. Otherwise, you'll be stuck with it forever.**_

**I…I understand.**

_**Good…now I recommend you brace yourself. The entity you're stuck with is back. Fear it, and it will consume you body and soul. Face it, and it will allow you to free it. Embrace it…and you will become the greatest of your time.**_

**Hai…fear will consume, facing it will let me help, and embracing it brings power.**

_**Good kit. Now go before I lose my patience.**_

**HAI!**

Naruto opened his eyes…and saw the clearing around him. Kyuubi was unconscious but alive. He weakly opened his eyes and said, "What happened? Where is it?"

"Kyuubi-san, your voice!"

"It…seems…that I…didn't…fare as…well as…you, kit."

"What's wrong?"

"The curse that followed us…is my own. Because you are my container, you were forced to bear it as well. I'm glad you survived the encounter…"

"What can I do to help?!"

"You can quit yelling at me for one."

"Gomen…"

"And you could leave me alone for a while. That stupid curse made me relive the night I attack the village!"

"Leave you alone?! On this island?! No way!" said Naruto firmly.

"Kit, I'm in NO mood for any of your lame excuses! I want to be left alone!" growled Kyuubi angrily. Naruto changed the staff into a bokuto, or a wooden sword, and struck towards Kyuubi who could barely block it in time.

"You expect me to leave you alone on an island full of demons who love bloodshed when you're as weak as a newborn kit? Not in this lifetime, Kyuubi!" said Naruto annoyed.

"Boy…if you don't leave me alone, I'll kill you when my strength returns…" growled Kyuubi, who was furious that Naruto not only attacked him, but also didn't use the honorifics!

"Normally I would, but I won't. I won't let you get yourself killed simply because of your stubbornness!"

"…"

"If you shrink a little more, you can ride on my shoulder to the arena. I'll leave you alone until you're ready to talk!"

"Fine…but once my strength comes back you're dead."

"Whatever…" said Naruto as he picked the fox lord up and places him on his shoulder.

When they reached the stadium, Naruto thought fast and turned into Yusuke to get in. He immediately headed towards Hiei, who was still recovering from his previous fight. It was Kurama's turn, and his opponent was Uraurashima. The fight had just started and it looked like Kurama wasn't planning on attacking the guy! He overheard the guy mentioning his relative who was sick and realized what the man was up to! He didn't know how, but for some reason he could see Uraurashima's aura!

"Nii-san! Don't believe that guy! He's a demon like you!" yelled Naruto.

"Naruto! Are you sure?" asked Kurama.

"Yeah! His aura's like the audiences!"

Kurama turns towards his opponent, and realizes Naruto is right. Though he is too slow to avoid the ever-so-irritating fishing pole. He turns towards Uraurashima and then realizes that the 'boy' had used the pole to entrap Kurama! Naruto was helpless and he didn't like the feeling one bit. A mysterious fog fills the arena, and Naruto senses a familiar aura in the mist. It was Yoko Kurama! He calms down; knowing that there was NO way a low-level demon could defeat Kurama's original form!

When the battle was over, Naruto saw his older brother in his true form for the first time in years…though it didn't last very long. Naruto chuckled when he heard the announcer's comment about how her weekend was shot. Kurama walked up to Naruto and he immediately sensed unimaginable rage next to him.

"Naruto, are you upset or something?"

"No…you must be feeling Kyuubi-san. He's irritable after facing that thing. He wanted to be left alone but I made him stay on my shoulder. I didn't want to let him get killed by another…"

"You made Kyuubi-sama stay on your shoulder?!" said Kurama, surprised. (Please note that Kyuubi was invisible to everyone EXCEPT Naruto for reasons I will reveal later.)

Hiei looked at Naruto strangely…he didn't see Kyuubi anywhere on either shoulder. Though he did spot a strange miasma on his left shoulder…its aura was pure rage and sorrow. He had no idea where the boy picked it up, but whatever it was wasn't very friendly.

They headed back to the hotel after finding out that the masked fighter was actually Genkai in disguise. Yusuke was still unconscious, and Naruto was beginning to feel the effects of the miasma. He went outside for some fresh air when he noticed Kyuubi was actually strangely…well, strang_er_ than usual anyway! He looked at the kitsune, and then realized something was wrong! His eyes were glazed over with pure rage and pain…and his aura had grown colder and more sinister.

* * *

"Kyuubi-san?" said Naruto, worried.

**"_Kyuubi-san is no longer here. I am his true form!"_** hissed the fox menacingly.

"Who…who are you? What happened to Kyuubi-san?"

**"_Kyuubi no kitsune failed the test, now his rage rules him."_**

"Why is he so angry at me?"

**"_Feh…you're one of those brats who think the whole world revolves around you…" _**

"No…I just don't know why Kyuubi-san is so angry."

**"_Would you like to know why, boy?"_**

Naruto nodded enthusiastically. The Fox chuckled as it said,

**

* * *

****(I was watching the "GRUDGE" last night and it was what gave me the idea for this chapter. It was a fairly decent movie...though it could have been a LOT better.)**


	21. The past reveals the truth

**The past reveals the truth**

Once again, Naruto is enveloped in darkness. This time, when he opened his eyes, he saw his home turf, or at least the outskirts of it! He looked around, and then spotted a large den. As he approached it, he heard a roar of rage from within. He instinctively knew it could only be Kyuubi. The fox lord dashes out of the den, looking for the culprit. He can't see Naruto, as the boy is simply watching the past. He tries to enter the den, to see what made Kyuubi so upset, only to find a barrier blocking him!

_Kyuubi is stuck behind the seal…he knows it would be impossible to get out until Naruto returned to the present. Even then, he'd be stuck in another form, since his rage was free and nearby! But there was something he COULD do in the timeline they were in. He could lower the barrier for Naruto. He carefully took control of Naruto's body, and raised the boy's hand to the shield. When it felt Kyuubi's aura, it lowered enough for the boy to pass unharmed…when he was through, it went up in an instant before he could react!_

_

* * *

_

Naruto didn't know what to do about the barrier. Suddenly, he couldn't move. He tried to move his leg, arm, ANYTHING…to no success. Then the being in control raised his right hand to the shield, and it slowly lowered after a moment. He was re-given control, and he quickly went into the den. The barrier came back up before he could react properly after he was safely in.

He slowly walked deeper into the vast den. He stopped short when he saw something…then jumped back when he figured out just WHAT he was looking at! It was the body of a newborn kit, dead. Once he got over his initial shock, he went closer, and felt a wave of sorrow from Kyuubi…he felt a similar surge of sadness. The kit never had a chance to even learn what it meant to be alive!

He walked past after paying his respects, and realized exactly _why _Kyuubi was so furious. Someone had invaded his den and killed his mate and newborn kits! And to make matters worse, there was no sign of the culprit. That's when the truth about WHY Kyuubi chose to attack Konoha hit him. The very emotion Kyuubi used to intimidate mortals could very well have backfired on him! Fear was the reason why the villagers never attacked him, and fear could have been the motive for his family's death.

He walked to the entrance and tried to exit the den. The shield knocked him backwards. It was the failsafe, should anything manage to get into Kyuubi's lair without him knowing, the barrier would prevent them from leaving until his return. (Seeing as how Kyuubi would never return, Naruto was almost screwed on that point!)

_Kyuubi retook control yet again. He repeated the shield trick; then gave Naruto back his body…until the NEXT obstacle arose._

Naruto left the den, unsure what had just happened with the barrier. He decided to look for clues as to who actually killed the kitsune in Kyuubi's den. He wandered randomly, then something caught his eye. It was…a snake skin? He went closer, and realized the skin was too large to be from an ordinary snake. As he drew even nearer, he jumped back with a yelp. The snake that shed the skin was monstrous! It had to be at least 100 meters long in Naruto's opinion. (134 meters to be exact.)

"What the hell…!" said Naruto in disbelief. As he tried to stand up, he realized he was exhausted. He sat back down, and decided to examine the snake skin. He could see the eyes. They were as dead as a doll's eyes. Finally, the darkness returned…but not before he saw two five-tailed kitsune return to the mouth of the den. They appeared to be the guards in Naruto's opinion._

* * *

_

Naruto was on the ground, gasping for breath. The fox spirit sat down and looked Naruto in the eye.

**"_What did you see?"_**

"I saw…why you were…in such a…rage that night. I'm sorry about your family Kyuubi."

**"_You're the only human who IS sorry about what happened! Your fellow villagers don't give a damn about WHY I attacked them!"_**

"Well that blasted barrier certainly didn't help THAT!"

**"_I see the beast within helped you get into the den and back out again. Now do you see why I hate your kind?"_**

"Even if there's a very good chance it _wasn't _humans who killed them?" said Naruto, suspecting Kyuubi never saw the skin outside the den.

**"_What nonsense are you spouting now boy?!"_**

"So you never did see it. Kyuubi, I went outside the den while you relived attacking the village and I saw something nearby."

**"_It had better be good…"_**

"I saw a very large _snake's skin_. It had to be over 100 meters long! Its eyes were creepier than a doll's…"

**"_An enormous snake's skin? Why would there be a demon serpent near my den? Unless…it was that damn serpent!"_**

"Who?"

**"_There's a snake I know of who has some grudge against me and mine. But why would he attack my kin? And how the hell could he have gotten inside the den to begin with? It only opens for me or my mate!"_**

"I don't know…"

**"_Knowing my kits, they probably threw that in a special place in the den that is immune to time."_**

"So what're you gonna do now, Kyuubi-san?"

**"_It depends…"_**

"Let me guess…I can either fear the power and become consumed by it, face it and be allowed to help, or embrace it and gain power."

**"_So you've been told that, eh? What way will you choose?"_**

"I've never really feared you and I don't want to face you in battle…"

**"_I'm losing my patience boy. You have one minute before I decide to have you for dinner!"_**

"Wait…!" said Naruto alarmed.

* * *

'Kyuubi' charged at Naruto, determined to eat him. Naruto dodged the first run, and narrowly avoided the second. He panicked as 'Kyuubi' came round for another attempt.

**Kit! That's NOT me! It's nothing but a manifestation of my rage that's followed us!**

_Kyuubi-san?! Wait…what does 'manifestation' mean?_

**Not right now boy! The point is that that isn't me! You CAN attack him! And don't worry about hurting him…he'll heal faster than you can attack.**

_But I don't have my sword! And I'm too freaked out to use any of my Jutsus!_

**Kit, you're TIED to the Lunara Staff! All you have to do is call it, and it will come.**

_O-o-kay, Kyuubi-san!_

-----

Naruto tried to call for the staff, but it was difficult with an enraged kitsune trying to eat him alive. It came to him and he caught it in his left hand.

**Alright kit, now's the perfect time to teach you how to get it to change shape in the heat of battle**.

_How's that?_

**Here's what you do… take the staff and twirl it in your hands without letting it go. Now while you're doing that, FOCUS on the sword. When you stop twirling it, it should become the Lunara Sword. Oh, and whatever you do, DO NOT DROP THAT STAFF!!!  
**_Hai…Kyuubi-san!_

-----

Naruto began twirling the staff, not allowing it to leave his hands for an instant. He focused only on the sword within, and when he felt the blade, he caught it in his right hand. He held it as he went into a stance. 'Kyuubi' charged again, and this time Naruto stood his ground.

Claws and metal met with an eerie clang! Naruto did his best to keep his ground, and not slip. The fox pushed and tried to bite the boy, with NO luck. Naruto pushes the fox back and then attempts to land a blow. He narrowly misses the fox, who tries to land a strike of his own. Both continue trying to stop each other, and both narrowly avoid the other's attacks.

Naruto was slowly but surely wearing down. If the battle continued it was clear who would be dead. He tried everything he could to avoid the fox, yet he still couldn't end the fight. The fox's patience was wearing thinner than ever. If he couldn't end the fight, he'd simply eat the boy sword and all!

Suddenly, Naruto slipped and the fox's fangs sank deep into his left shoulder. He cried out in pain as he felt the teeth puncture the skin. He knocked the fox off of him, hard. He gasped for breath as he clutched his shoulder, which was bleeding heavily.

**"_You taste pretty good for a human. It's been a LONG time since I've eaten a human child. I almost forgot what they tasted like…"_** the fox chuckled sinisterly.

Naruto was fading fast…he was bleeding too heavily from the wound. If he didn't stop it soon he would die. He faced the fox, determined to end it then and there. The fox charged for a killing blow. He was taken aback when Naruto dropped the sword and caught the fox right as the creature's fangs sank even deeper into Naruto's right shoulder.

"Please…let me try…to end your…pain…" gasped Naruto. The blood flowed faster than ever, and the fox was clearly startled by the boy's actions.

**"_You?! End MY pain?! I'd love to see you try brat!"_**

"You've…been…all…alone…for…too…long…Kyuubi-san…" said Naruto between gasps. He could feel his life slipping away. The fox let his grip go slack and the boy fell to the ground. The real Kyuubi tried everything to save Naruto, but he was too late to do anything. But he forgot what would happen should Naruto embrace the rage in an attempt to soothe the beast.

The fox carefully sat the boy up against a tree, then backed up and charged again. This time he didn't attack…he went _right through Naruto!_

_

* * *

_


	22. Kitsune training

**Kitsune training**

Naruto opens his eyes to see…Kurama looking at him strangely. It was almost as if he didn't recognize him!

"Seems someone got into a little fight, eh kit?" said Kurama gently as he picked Naruto up.

_Strange…I didn't know I was THAT light…_

"You must have been in a pretty rough fight, little kit," said Kurama as he took a good look at Naruto's wounds.

_Why does he keep calling me kit? Did I get my ass kicked so bad he doesn't even recognize me?_

Kurama carries him to a stream nearby, and before he has a chance to begin tending the wounds, Naruto gets a good look at himself in the stream. What he sees completely takes him aback. He turned into a full-blown fox spirit!

_I thought Kurama-nii was carrying me…so who's that fox in his arms. Wait…why did that fox move his head the same time I did?! Unless…HOLY CRAP! I'VE BECOME A FREAKING FOX SPIRIT!_

Naruto is so startled at this realization that he attempts to jump out of Kurama's grasp! Kurama struggles to keep him from moving too much, lest he reopens the wounds. He realizes he has no choice but to knock the kit out with stun powder. When he finally manages to finish bandaging the kit's wounds, he gently picks it up and takes it back to the hotel.

* * *

"Hiei, have you seen Naruto? I've been looking for him everywhere and can't find him," said Kurama.

"Nope…haven't seen him since he left for some fresh air yesterday. Though I _did _find the sword."

"Odd…well if you see him, tell him to come back here. He has to do his homework or Iruka will have my hide!"

"Will do…" shrugged Hiei.

"Hey Kurama, what's that?" asked Botan.

"I found this fox kit in the woods earlier. Looks like he got into a fight with an older kitsune. He's lucky he's even alive. Those gauges are very deep."

"Maybe Yukima can help it. She's a pretty good healer ya know," suggested Kuwabara.

_Aw hell…I don't think I can stand letting that ice girl heal me. Her hands are WAAAAY too cold!_

"I don't think I can heal an animal Kazuma…" said Yukima.

"And I doubt this kit will sit still long enough for her to finish. I had a hell of a time trying to keep it still while I bandaged the wounds!" said Kurama.

Naruto began to close his eyes…he couldn't keep them open. He overheard Botan say, "Aw…look at the little guy. He must be tired out from all that excitement!"

Naruto awoke in the middle of the night, his front legs killing him. They felt like they were on fire! Kurama was asleep next to him. Naruto knew that Kurama often slept like a log, thanks to the sleeping powder that he usually took. (Yusuke and Kuwabara snored like a demon's roar! Can you blame him for taking medicine to sleep?)

Naruto slowly got out of the bed and carefully walked out to the living room. He tried his best not to agitate his injured forelegs. On the table is his homework…Naruto is relieved that he only has to do English. He sits at the table, and when he tried to grip the pencil, winced as his forelegs burned like hell. He tried again, and he still couldn't do it. That when it hit him. He used his tail to finish his homework for the night, and then went back to bed.

* * *

Kurama woke up in the morning and went to the next room to make something for the fox kit to eat. He almost didn't catch what was on the table…then he stopped short. _Naruto's homework was finished…and in the boy's handwriting no less!_

"What the…? How did…?"

The kit yawned a bit, and then Kurama had a crazy notion he thought was impossible. He thought for a moment that the fox kit was actually Naruto. But the kit's aura was completely demonic…there wasn't a trace of human in it! So how did Naruto's homework get done?

Kurama shook his head as he fixed breakfast. He decided ramen noodles would be less harsh to the young kit's stomach. He finished the ramen and as soon as he opened the lid with the noodles ready, the kit was almost immediately there at his side.

"That was fast…" said Kurama surprised.

"Hey Kurama, you making breakfast? I'm starving!" yawned Yusuke.

"Not for you Yusuke. You'll have to make your own."

"No fair! Then who's that for? The weird fox-thing at your feet?"

"Yup," said Kurama bluntly. He laughed at the look of surprise on Yusuke's face.

As Kurama set the cup down, the kit pounced on it in an instant. Both boys had a look of disbelief on their face.

"Either that fox hadn't eaten in days…or he reeeally loves ramen noodles…"

The kit looked up at them, and then went and got a pencil. He wrote on the floor, _**the latter.**_

"What's that mean?" asked Yusuke, very confused.

_**It means that you had it right on the SECOND TRY, you thick-headed baka.**_

"He sure seems to know you well, Yusuke…" chuckled Kurama. That was when Kurama noticed the handwriting style. He went and got Naruto's English homework and looked at both the fox's replies and the answers…they were almost identical!

"I don't believe it…they're the same!"

"What are?"

"The handwriting…they're almost identical to each other!"

"And…?"

"It can mean one of two things. One, this fox has copied Naruto's handwriting perfectly."

"And the other…?"

"This IS Naruto."

The fox started snickering…before he began coughing a bit. (Choked on some ramen.)

"I know one way to find out…"

"…"

Kurama made another cup, and sure enough the fox followed him, slowly but surely. Yusuke's eyes went up a bit when he saw the fox practically leaning on his back legs and balancing on his tail. It was almost as if he was walking like a human.

"What's with that fox?"

"His two forefeet are badly injured. It's too painful for him to walk on his front feet."

"What happened to his two front feet?"

_**It's not the feet, you dolt. My shoulders were bitten by another kitsune.**_

"It still looks weird…"

_**So does your face…and I don't comment on it behind your back!**_

"Why you annoying little…!" growled Yusuke.

"He should be able to walk a day before the finals. Kitsune are fast healers."

"Well I hope he heals fast. I'm gonna kick his sorry ass!" said Yusuke.

_**Knock yourself out, baka.**_

* * *

Naruto's shoulders healed in two days after Kurama found him. Yusuke tried his best to hit Naruto, only to find that the moment his body made contact with the kitsune, the fox poofed into a cloud of smoke!

"What the hell?"

"He's a ninja-in-training baka… They can make doppelgangers of themselves!" chuckled Hiei.

"What the hell is a 'doppelganger'?" replied Yusuke.

"A doppelganger is a double-image technique used to confuse enemies. It can also be used to fight enemies in your place," answered Botan.

"Impressive Botan. I didn't think you knew about doppelgangers," commented Kurama.

"I've had to use them from time to time…trouble with the more violent demon spirits…" said Botan nervously.

"Right…more like you used them to dodge going to Koenma's boring meetings…" chuckled the blue ogre.

(Botan's reaction: anime-wide-eyed-freaked-out-look on face!)

"I…I do not!" stammered Botan.

"What was that? Did you say a doppelganger?!" yelled Koenma annoyed. (Note that Naruto and the others stopped fighting to watch Botan get chewed out at this point.)

* * *

The next morning, the gang woke up to find…a familiar blond ninja-in-training curled up close to Kurama. They could also see Naruto snoring up a storm…and drooling. Yusuke, Hiei, and Kuwabara all saw this and started snickering their heads off at the sight. (Naruto was drooling ON Kurama.) The former fox-demon awoke and hid his groan of dismay.

"Naruto, NOT again!" groaned Kurama.

"Uh…did you say something nii-san?" moaned Naruto sleepily.

"You're drooling again…what did you think I'd say?!" growled Kurama.

"Huh? Wha…No way! I'm back in my own body! But…how?" said Naruto in disbelief.

"My guess is that you somehow absorbed a kitsune body while you were mortally injured and had to stay like that until you were fully healed…" said Kurama.

"But I don't get it. Why'd I turn into a fox? I thought I was a goner!" said Naruto, sitting in a meditating position. (Cross-legged on the bed.)

"Demons are very strange creatures…" chuckled Yusuke.

"Look whose talking baka. Humans are more odd than demons."

"What was that? I didn't quite hear you three eyes…" growled Yusuke.

"What did you say?!" snarled Hiei. (Even though technically he _does _have three eyes.)

"I wish I could learn more about how to use fox magic though…Kyuubi-san wouldn't help me at all last time…" said Naruto.

"You want to be better at fox powers, eh otouto? I think I can get Yoko out to help you…" said Kurama.

He left the room and decided that this was the perfect opportunity to use the item their last opponent gave them. He waited 15 minutes, and then Naruto finally found him. Yoko Kurama appeared and looked at Naruto amused.

* * *

"Yoko-nii! How'd you get here so quick?" said Naruto surprised.

**"Never mind that. Ready to learn more about your dormant powers?"**

"What does 'dormant' mean?"

**"You'll have to look it up. There's a book known as a DICTIONARY…try reading it sometime…" **chuckled Yoko Kurama.

"How do I turn into my fox spirit form? I don't even remember how I did it the first time!"

**"Cursed-Kyuubi-no-Kitsune?"**

**"_On it…"_** said the dark miasma as it went through Naruto's body.

"What…what's going on?! What is happening…?" said Naruto, feeling a strange energy flood his senses. When he opened his eyes, he realized Yoko was taller than before. He looked down to see…_furry paws?!_

_Not again!_

**Relax kit…in time you'll be able to turn into this form by yourself. Hopefully, BEFORE this potion wears off.**

_Wait…you can understand me now? Last time I had to use my tail and a pencil!_

**Last time I wasn't in my true form.**

_Yoko-nii…what do I do now?_

**Remain calm for one… Now, which should we work on first? Your speech problem or your difficulty with turning kitsune at will?**

_Kitsune._

**Somehow I suspected you'd say that…**

* * *

At first it appeared as though Naruto was doing fine…then came the problem. He got stuck between fox-to-human. He looked very similar to the announcer from the tournament! His ears were cat-like, his tail remained, his eyes were still fox-like, and his whisker-marks were broader than usual. He looked like a fox-morph gone horribly wrong! Hiei stopped by after sensing Yoko's aura, and drew his sword immediately.

"Who the hell is this fool?!"

"_It's me Hiei-sensei! It's Naruto!"_ said the misshapen fox-boy.

"You've got to be kidding…what the hell happened to him?"

**"He's trying to turn into a kitsune at will…unfortunately he hasn't quite gotten the hang of it yet…"**

"I can see that much!"

"Yoko-nii, how do I…?"

**"Turn back? Simple…just concentrate on what you're _supposed _to look like and you SHOULD go back to normal."**

"Can we work on my ninja skills then? I need to practice some more if I want to pass the exam this time…"

**"Fair enough. Let's see how well your shurinkens can do against my plants."**

"Yay!" said Naruto as he finally went back to normal. (Apparently once he gets excited enough, he loses all concentration and turns back to normal without trying!)

* * *

They spent the rest of the afternoon practicing Naruto's ninja skills. It was clear he didn't need any help throwing his four-sided throwing stars, or his kunai. He _did _need help when it concerned his chakra and jutsu. He couldn't transform properly even if his life depended on it…and clones weren't an option either!

"Naruto, can't you do ANY jutsu without using your demonic powers?" sighed Hiei.

"He always DID have a problem with Ninjutsu and Genjutsu…perhaps he's more of a weapons-type ninja…or a Taijutsu…"

"Taijutsu?"

"Hand-to-hand combat. Genjutsu is illusion and Ninjutsu is ninja-arts."

"Hand-to-hand eh? Well Naruto, how about a sparring match? No weapons, just fists and feet."

"Okay!" said Naruto as he poised using a sword-stance.

After about three hours, Naruto was on the ground, gasping for air. Hiei looked mildly winded himself.

"You're not half-bad for a runt…"

"HEY!"

"How did you learn half those techniques?!"

"Experience…" said Naruto quietly.

"From what? Street-fighting 101?! The only people I know who even _remotely_ resemble that style are Urameshi and Kuwabara!" snorted Hiei.

"He's had a difficult time with villagers. Hell, they day we met I saved him from an enraged drunk who got angry from the mere sight of him."

"So let me get this straight…this kid knows how to fight simply because those idiots in his village hold a grudge?!"

"And because he's always getting into mischief if he can…" chuckled Kurama.

"Well, I think now's the perfect time to work on his reflexes, don't you?"

"Indeed."


	23. Family Reunion For Foxes

**Family reunion for foxes**

Kyuubi watched as Hiei and Naruto sparred. He didn't even notice when a new kitsune snuck up behind him until he felt something try to tackle him from behind. It was…_one of his kits?!_

_**"What the…!"**_

_**"FATHER! I thought you were killed by the humans!"**_

_**"Wha…? What are you doing here boy?"**_

_**"I had some passes from last year that I forgot to use. Lucky for me they don't know about it…" **_said the kit.

Kyuubi just stared, as if in disbelief that one of his own kits was at the tournament. Then he turned his attention back to the two when he heard Naruto yelp.

_**"Listen, kit…"**_ Kyuubi started to say when the kit interrupted.

_**"Look pops, you can quit calling me kit. You did name me**____**after your favorite ninja after all…"**_

___**"And which was that?"**_

___**"Uzamaki."**_

___**"You're joking…"**_

___**"Nope."**_

___**"How ironic…"**_

___**"What is, pops?"**_

___**"Oy, Naruto! Come here for a sec…!" **_yelled Kyuubi.

_"What is it Kyuubi-san?"_

___**"Tell this boy your name, son,"**_ chuckled Kyuubi.

___**"Name's Uzamaki…"**_ said Uzamaki carefully, unsure what his father was up to.

_"WHAT THE…?! Kyuubi, is this for real?!" said Naruto in disbelief._

_"What? What's so weird about my name being Uzamaki?" asked Uzamaki in a more human voice._

_"It happens to be Naruto's last name…" said Hiei from behind the kit._

_"Wha… You're kidding, right?"_

_"Nope. Name's Naruto Uzamaki!"_

_"Weird. So pops, why you hanging out with this kid? Shouldn't you be heading to the reunion? I'm pretty sure everyone will be happy to see ya again!"_

_"Kitsune have family reunions too?!" said Naruto in disbelief._

___**"Where and when…"**_ was all Kyuubi said in response.

_"Back at the den…tomorrow."_

___**"I'll attempt to be there. I may have found what caused the deaths of the others the night I was almost killed."**_

_"But pops, how will you make it back to the island from Konoha?"_

___**"I'll find a way."**_

_"Kyuubi-san, the final round is in two days. It took me at least a week to make it here!"_

___**"I'll find a way."**_ Kyuubi repeated.

_"Fine, be mysterious. But just so you know, Nii-san will want some answers…"_

_"Kyuubi-san, how many kits __do_ you have?"

___**"I lost count at 666."**_

___"WHAT!!" _said the demons in unison.

___**"What? I'm over a thousand years old, whaddya expect?!"**_

_"Whoa…you've been VERY busy, Kyuubi-san," said Kurama, impressed._

___**"What can I say…"**_ shrugged Kyuubi, _**"Maki, are you **__**going to**__** the reunion?"**_

_"IT'S UZAMAKI! And no, if I do, my tickets become void."_

___**"I'll be back**____**before the final round."**_

___"You'd better, Kyuubi-san!"_

_____**"Uzamaki, can I ask you a favor?"**_

___"Sure."_

_____**"Take care of this baka for me while I'm away,"**_ said Kyuubi sternly.

___"WHAT! Why?! He's a human!"_

___**"I'm only HALF-human!"** growled Naruto. His eyes were a blood red, his nails sharpened to claws, and a tail sprouted where there should be none._

___"So he ain't human. Fine, I'll keep an eye on him."_

___**When Kyuubi returned to his den, there was an immediate silence…followed by a unanimous outcry of shock.**_

___**"Father! You're alive!" **cried one._

___**"WHERE THE HELL HAVE YOU BEEN?!"**roared the oldest._

___(This basically continues for a few hours, so I'll skip back to Naruto and Kurama.)_

___"Nii-san, do you know any new plant techs?"_

___"Well, there is the plant that feeds on demon blood…"_

___"COOL! Can you teach me?" begged Naruto._

___"I would, but it would put those two in danger if they move…" said Kurama coolly._

___"Basically we're not allowed to move, is that it?" rumbled Maki. (Uzamaki.)_

___"Unless you want the mimosa of Makai to kill you."_

___"Fine. I'll stay still."_

___When Kurama brought out the seed, Naruto was impressed. Then it sprouted…_

___"Now remember otouto, don't move or it WILL attack you."_

___"Hai!"_

___The bloom suddenly raced toward Maki. (Twitched his tail too much…) A loud yelp is heard and Naruto subconsciously blocks the plant using the Death Tree mostly found in Yoko Kurama's domain. The plant stops, as if confused then backs off._

___"Very good, Naruto. We'll pick this up when there aren't any others around, ne?"_

___"Okay, Nii-san!"_

___They hear another sound from the bushes. The plant starts to chase after it, but stops midway when the intruder comes out. It seems to know the girl isn't food…_

___"Yuki, what are you doing here?!" said Kurama in absolute shock._

___"Oh puh-lease! Don't tell me you had no idea that your Death Tree portal can also come here!" snorted Yuki, "And I told you before my name is Yoko!"_

___"Nii-san, who is she?"_

___"A fellow demonic classmate of mine."_

___Before they could continue, they hear a yelp of horror from none other than…Yusuke?!_

___"ACK! It can't be! Yuki Minamino from the Fox Tail gang!" Yusuke says in dismay._

___"Nice to see you too, Urameshi," smirked Yuki._

___"What's all the…oh no! What's __SHE_ doing here?!" said Kuwabara in the same tone Yusuke used.

___"Nii-san?" said Naruto in a questioning tone._

___"She's the leader of a very rough gang called the Fox Tails. For some reason I'm the only one she seems to get along with…"_

___**Next up, the FINAL ROUND!**_

__

___**(If you want to know more about Yuki, ((who happens to be Yoko Kurama's daughter.)) then help me come up with at title for the fic!)  
**_


	24. Time Troubles

**Time Troubles**

When Kyuubi returned to Konoha for a brief moment, he found something disturbing. It was almost as if more than 2 months had passed…

_**"How lon**__**g**__** has your brother been **__**g**__**one at the Dark Tournament?"**_

_**"About**__** six months…why?"**_

_**"SIX MONTHS?! It can't be! We've only been away two by my count!"**_

_**"Well, he's been away for six months. Why are you so surprised?"**_

_**"Because the last time I checked, the Dark Tournament lasted only two months…three tops!"**_

_**"Well, it's been six months…"**_

_**"Something is very wrong here… **__**how could six months have passed.**__** I'm sorry, but I have to return. This could be very serious…"**_

_**"But, father!"**_

_**"I'll be back, with a new brother for you. His name is Naruto."**_

_**"AS IF 413 KITS WEREN'T Enough?!"**_

_**"413? What happened to the rest? And anyway, Naruto isn't a normal kit. He's human…"**_

_**"WHAT! THE HUMANS ARE THE ONES WHO KILLED THE OTHER KITS!"**_

_**"Naruto's different."**_

_**"I don't care what his excuse was to chan**__**g**__**e your mind about mortals, but his kind has killed the others!"**_

_**"Naruto…has ME sealed inside him…" **_Kyuubi said reluctantly.

"Is this a joke father? Because I don't find it amusing."

_**"The Fourth Hokage sealed me inside of him. I have a hard enough time escaping the seal.**__**"**_

_**"How do we know we can trust him?"**_

_**"He found what killed your mother…"**_

_**"We know it was Manda. We found his shed skin not 10 meters from the den."**_

_**"Well, if I had known it was him from the start, then I wouldn't have attacked the village**__**."**_

_**"We know. Anyway, what's so bad about the Dark Tournament and Konoha **__**g**__**oing out of sync?"**_

_**"Because the baka has an older brother from that world. Yoko Kurama."**_

_**"So?**__** What does it matter?"**_

_**"Kurama has become mortal as well. He is now training the boy."**_

_**"Fine…we'll leave them alone. But the humans must pay for what they've done!"**_ roared Kitsu. (Oldest and grumpiest of the kits.)

_**"NO. YOU WILL LEAVE THE HUMANS ALONE," **_Kyuubi roared thunderously. As if by an unknown queue, he vanished…

* * *

_**"Kurama, we have trouble**__**. The timelines…they're **__**out of sync!"**_

"What do you mean Kyuubi-san?" asked Kurama.

"He means either more time has passed back in Konoha or that it's gone backwards…"

_**"According to Kitsu, we've been away for…6 months."**_

_"SIX MONTHS?! How could this have happened?"_

_**"Whatever between**__** our worlds **__**is starting to slip.**____**If this continues…"**_

_"Then there'd be no assurance I'd see Naruto in the present…"_

_"Nii-san…does that mean you have to leave me?" asked Naruto, clearly upset._

_"It just means I'll have a harder time seeing you."  
_

* * *

_**By the end of the Dark Tournament, Yusuke's team has won, and his mentor is back. Naruto and Kurama head back to Konoha, expecting all hell to break loose. The returned find Naruto was behind in two months homework, which he quickly caught up. Little did they know that Hiei was about**** to experience an adventure of his own which would allow to him to see what a family is truly about. His own sister, Yukina, still had no clue Hiei was her brother. **_

_**Sasuke, Naruto's rival, was about to be reunited with his own sister, Sakura. She was spared from the massacre of the clan by visiting a friend in another village that day. Hiei's arrival in his life would change much in the ninja village of Konoha.**_

_**This fic will be continued in the sequel, The Uchiha Trio.**_


End file.
